Letter of Recommendation

Few things help more when trying to land a great job than a letter of recommendation from a respected colleague or friend.  Someone who can vouch for your professional life and your character.  Someone who is willing to say wholeheartedly, “I would hire him/her if I could!” 

Similarly, when some in life are determined to bring you down, a letter of recommendation may serve to correct any misperceptions they have.

Paul was persecuted and misunderstood for his faith and his tactics, and could have used a good letter of recommendation at times.  He had room to boast about his work and a platform on which to do it, but he chose not to.  The only letters of recommendation he needed were the lives that were changed as a result of his ministry.

Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not! The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts. 2 Corinthians 3:1-3 (NLT)

Isn’t that what we all want?  We don’t want our kids to write us a letter saying what great parents we are/were…we want their lives to be the letter!  We want people to see the effects of our ministry with family and friends! 

I thought back to see for whom I could be a letter of recommendation.  There are many names on the list including my parents, my brother Dave, my wife Michele, Jim Zuber (the pastor of our former church), and Terry Lewis.  These people (and many more) have ministered to me so well over the years, and my great hope is that my life could in some way serve as a letter of recommendation to their work.

Two questions to consider:

• For whom could your life serve as a letter of recommendation?  Have you thanked them lately?
• Whose lives could be a letter of recommendation for you?  Whose lives have you touched in a significant way?  Whose lives would you like to affect in that way?

Be Sociable, Share!

•