His Letters of Recommendation

As I work my way through the New Testament during my time in Guatemala, God has taught me so many different lessons. However, a few things keep sticking out to me in the Gospels and the following books.

In 2 Corinthians 3:1-3, The Bible says,

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? ² You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. ³ And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Although I had read this passage before, I never thought much of it. However, as I apply for jobs, colleges, and scholarships, letters of recommendation are an important part of my applications. You want a good letter of recommendation for your applications. Although they are not you, and sometimes they do not represent you, they are able to give the other person a good idea for who you are and what you are like. So when Paul says in this passage that we are God's letters of recommendation, this is a big deal. Although we are not God, and we are nowhere near as perfect as Him, we are representing Him. Obviously this can be a bit of a challenge. However, there is one thing that is repeated over and over in the Bible to represent Jesus Christ: LOVE.

Matthew 22:37-39 says,

³⁷ And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the great and first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

This is not the only time the Bible commands us to love God and love others. Up until Ephesians, it is repeated in Matthew 5:44, Mark 12:30-31, Luke 6:27, Luke 6:32-35, Luke 10:27, John 13:34, John 15:12-13, Romans 12:9-10, Romans 13:8-10, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, 1 Corinthians 16:14, 2 Corinthians 8:8, Galatians 5:13-14, and Ephesians 5:2. As a recurring theme, God has taught me how to minister to people both in Guatemala and back home in the United States. There is not much more to it than showing His love.

As I helped at Fiesta Navideña at ASELSI in Chichicastenango, I was reminded of this love by a little girl named Francisca. I was welcoming people, and out of nowhere, this little girl ran up to me and gave me a big hug. Although I had never met her before, she loved on me. Fast forward to five minutes later, Francisca and all her friends were looking at me from afar. Suddenly, I was attacked with hugs from about eight little girls. None of them knew me. None of them even knew I could somewhat speak their language. They didn't care that I had a different skin color. They didn't look at me differently or treat me differently. This is God's love.

Although I didn't get a picture with Francisca, I know she was in the crowd learning about God's love!

Regardless of what I looked like or if they knew me, these little girls showed me love. At eight years old, Francisca and her friends taught me what true evangelism is like. It is not always speaking with words about God's love, but instead through actions. As a powerful statement, God sometimes chooses children to be His letters of recommendation. I cannot think of a better choice.