July 28, 2016

PEN IN HAND...

2 Corinthians 3:1-3

Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

Personal Challenge

Usually, I see this passage used to show how each one of us who follow Christ as tablets of flesh that His love is written upon so He can be shown to those around us. This is true, however, today I saw something else in this passage. Just as the Apostle Paul staked his claim of who he was on the fruit of his labor by how his teachings were written on the heart of those whom he had served, so too do my actions, my words, my behaviors and attitudes written on the hearts of those in my life, whether permanent or transient people. The question for me here is, "What kind of message am I leaving behind?" Am I being loving to those around me or harsh and bitter? Am I encouraging and building up or am I discouraging and tearing down? Do people walk away from me with a small piece of the love of God on their heart or have I treated them in a way that their heart is hardened just a little bit more? These are tough and sobering questions. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!