“You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. “— 2 Corinthians 3:2, 3 (NIV84)

There is something about the impact a Christian has on the surrounding world. Slowly, but surely, something transfers from one heart to another. A small change in perspective. A different way life is lived out. I guess the point I am trying to make is that Christians rub off on the world around them. That’s what Jesus said about being light and salt to the earth. In our verses for today, Paul is referring more specifically to what we Christians are to one another. True Christian relationships refine us. Like iron sharpens iron, Christians have the uncanny ability to positively affect the lives of one another. As I think about my ministry over the several decades I have been blessed to serve our Lord, I know that the people who would say I have significantly touched their lives have done the very same thing for me. I understand exactly what Paul was saying when he wrote, “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts.”

The people I have ministered to over the years have, in turn, ministered to me and my heart. God uses each of us to work His will in others. It’s as though God uses the life experiences of fellow Christians to inscribe His truths onto our hearts. It is an amazing and beautiful thing to experience. I am SO thankful for the many wonderful Christian people that God has brought through my life. They have touched, challenged, refined and defined me. Today, stop for a while and consider how God has used good Christian people around you to mold you into who you are today. May we each reflect the touch others have had on our lives like letters written on our hearts.

Peace!

Pastor Tom

www.firmlyrooted.church