As someone whose greatest love language is words of affirmation, handwritten letters are a huge deal to me. My mom put a note in my lunchbox every day when I was growing up. My friends and family wrote letters to me before I left to study abroad for a semester. And my best friend knows that the quickest way to brighten my day is a quick note delivered with a fresh cup of coffee. I keep a box of letters from loved ones on my desk to read when I’m having a hard day. They have brought me encouragement in my darkest moments, reminding me that I am loved and cherished.
In the days of the early Church, letters served an even greater purpose than they do now. Letters functioned similarly to recommendation letters written for employment or educational purposes; they were vouchers for people when they entered into new churches and new communities.
When I was applying for graduate school last spring, I toiled over choosing the professors and mentors who I would ask to write my recommendation letters. I wanted to make sure they had the best impression of me. I wanted to be confident I was worthy of their recommendation, that the letters they sent to admissions offices would include the best version of me I could present. And so I sent those professors my most stacked resume and the best version of my application essays. In short, I wanted to prove I was good enough—both to the people writing my recommendation letters and to the people who would read them.
When Paul tells the Corinthians that they are Christ’s living letters, he’s reminding them of their identity as the people of God. He’s reminding them of who they are, of their identity as the body of Christ. He’s reminding them that the Spirit of God has written the law of love on their hearts, fulfilling the old covenant and making way for a brand new one: the covenant they can be part of because of Christ Jesus. Our recommendations and our accolades don’t hold any weight in the new covenant because “our adequacy is from God” (2Corinthians 3:5). Our worth and our confidence are in Christ Jesus—not in ourselves nor in the things that are praised by others.
We, too, are welcome in this new covenant that gives us the ability to act in boldness and gives us life, hope, and freedom.
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73 thoughts on "Living Letters"
It’s amazing that just as Christ is the living word we are the living letters. He pours into us and we are his greatest manifestations
I hope that my letter reads love, joy, peace, patience and compassion to those I come into contact with. I know that isn’t always how my letter reads to those around me.
Amen!
A day late to the table, it’s been a few days of hectic-ness..
I do read but have no time to comment.. and yesterdays thoughts as I read were of the letters I received from my dad when I was at boarding school.
They came at just the right time. When life was getting tough, or I was missing home, just needed’ a letter from home’
Praying that I can be a ‘living letter’ to all I meet, no matter their walk of life, their journey, their appearance, their story… we ALL need a letter from home..
BUT GOD..
AMEN.
❤️
Amen, Tina! Love you, sister, and hope next week is a tad quieter for you! ❤
Before I even read through all the comments, I was thinking how, as His letters, we should remember that we may be the only Bible that people read. Then, lo and behold, SEARCHING shared that too. Remember that we are His letters, sweet She’s!
❤️
My granddaughter is in her 4th week of boot camp at Fort Sill. I send her a letter each week and include a Bible verse and a affirmation quote from someone. She just wrote this week how much she looks forward to mail day. She is only 17 and never been away from home longer than 1 week. She misses her parents and younger siblings. She mentioned getting mail and being connected helps from being homesick. I try to include a photo of something fun too. At the end of August she will start her senior year of high school and then nursing, all while she serves. I’m so proud of her and her determination. She has her new Bible and is attending Bible study. I look to God to help me pick just the right verse to send. Sorry this so long. Blessings all.
Making great memories for her!
Donna,
My grandchildren live 2 miles away, I see them most days, but I love writing them letters and posting to them.. I just remember receiving letters and disappearing into my room to read it privately, it was MY letter.. I still have letters written to me when I was at boarding school..50+ years ago!❤️
Donna, I have been praying for Anya at boot camp. What a brave, mature young woman she is! You must be super proud! ❤️
Happy Friday shes. The five love languages are so sweet and I was glad it was mentioned today. If I have to choose one, mine (the one I tend to lean more on) would be gifts/giving. Though the book the 5 love languages for children, which I read half way, the authors/psychiatrists suggest that we be fluent in all. It is such a great advice, but probably a life-long practice that I hold dear in my heart. Note to self, learn to be fluent in all love languages. Writing letters could be a lost art in nowadays society. But I find journaling, for my case, is another form of writing letters to God. I find that in my time with God, He usually told me to write, and I would write out letters that God shared His heart, and His ministering to me is really precious, intimate, loving, and refreshing. I found myself writing to Him too in short passages, about things, and petitions for others, including you shes. I pray you have a lovely weekend and may God bless you and keep you always.
Yes, I too love journaling, and have many, many journals that will be my letters to God, or more so conversations, thoughts, and prayers, that my loved ones will have! It’s funny because writing to my grandkids I realize they probably won’t even be able to read the cursive!
I don’t jounal often enough, but I remember, oh how I remember..
This was Beautiful, Mercy..❤️
Thank you my lovely shes. I think writing is a beautiful gift. And one day I like to pass down these journals to my young ones by God’s grace.❤️
I’m at one of my Most favorite places. Monterey California. It’s beautiful and sunny and 63°!! We picked the perfect day to come just my daughter and I . Speaking of letters, love letters, encouraging notes, I have kept a lot of my kids handwritten notes to me! Even the silly one my son wrote to my daughter and I during Christmas time when he sent us on a scavenger hunt for our gift. My son celebrated my daughter by taking her to the City yesterday and getting her a beautiful dress. I get to celebrate my daughter today in this amazing beach town, And speaking of letters, I took the time to write in her graduation card and book. I wasn’t able to take the time to write in her card and tell yesterday. Though we already celebrated her back in June, I wanted to celebrate just the two of us. I included in her gift the book: “I love you forever“. Most importantly, my prayer is that my kids will know that I love them forever, I love them to the moon and back, only because of Jesus! I love my Jesus! Happy Friday, sweet She’s!️️⛱️
Well, poor you MARI V.. 63 degrees!!!
That just sounds like you must be roasting nicely!
We love because God loved us first!
Enjoy your time away with your favourite peeps.. dear friend..❤️
I’m at one of my Most favorite places. Monterey California. It’s beautiful and sunny and 63°!! We picked the perfect day to come just my daughter and I . Speaking of letters, love letters, encouraging notes, I have kept a lot of my kids handwritten notes to me! Even the silly one my son wrote to my daughter and I during Christmas time when he sent us on a scavenger hunt for our gift. My son celebrated my daughter by taking her to the City yesterday and getting her a beautiful dress. I get to celebrate my daughter today in this amazing beach town, And speaking of letters, I took the time to write in her graduation card and book. I wasn’t able to take the time to write in her card and tell yesterday. Though we already celebrated her back in June, I wanted to celebrate just the two of us. I included in her gift the book: “I love you forever“. Most importantly, my prayer is that my kids will know that I love them forever, I love them to the moon and back, only because of Jesus! I love my Jesus! Happy Friday, sweet She’s!
I’m so glad I saved cards that actually have my son’s, mom’s, Tom’s handwriting. We don’t often actually handwrite anything anymore.
It is very thought provoking to think of ourselves as living letters. Also that the praise of others doesn’t matter. Only what God see’s in us.
Handwriting is a dying art, Thank God, we are from a time when letter writing was a thing!
So very special.. and so beautiful to go back to them to remember and feel the love in them!
Hugs, dearest..❤️
Perpetual thanks to Paul, the “junior” disciple, for scholars believe actually writing seven of the thirteen Pauline epistles. Including his benediction in 1 Corinthians 16 v 21…”This greeting is in my own hand, Paul”.
Talk about living letters!! Spirit meets scroll!
Thanks be to God!!
❤️
Oh Dear Teresa
Deanna in her reply offers sage advice.
Please do not try to do this alone, in body or mind or spirit. I pray you allow“ living letters” into your heart for the Glory of God.
He sees, He hears, He knows.
With Love, Sister She.
“Glory” is written at least 13 times in this section. May we focus on the glory of God today in our walks! How marvelous and beyond compare!
Amen, Melissa, Amen.❤️
I’ve not been ‘writing’ to the world very much lately. I’ve drawn into myself and hardly go anywhere or interact with anyone. I stay home and read all day long every day. I read Christian fiction, but even though I am often moved by the way the characters in a book live out their daily lives for Christ, and would like to do the same, it’s kind of hard to let anyone see my letter when I don’t interact with anyone. I’m praying today that even though it has become very hard for me to interact with the world, I will be able to lean on God and attempt to go outside my house today. After all, no one can read my letter if I don’t mail it.
Praying for you. ♥️
Oh Teresa, There are so many reasons to want to avoid the world these days. So many ways to get hurt, so many reasons to be discouraged. I, too, don’t spend much time “out there” because my own little world is so much safer. Be careful to allow God to lead you to those people He would want you to interact with, though. I do think we should be living quieter lives than most people, but we are still called to be light to the world. God will show you who He wants you to hang out with, and for what purposes. Small Groups at a church is a great place to start. I’ve finally let God pick my friends for me, and honestly, most of them I would not have picked on my own. But I’ve literally asked Him for friends that He wants me to have. Ask God to show you who to interact with, who you can be safe with. Jesus often went off by Himself to be with God, and He had His 12 disciples as His closest friends. He will bring good people to you.
Love this Kris! I went through a period a few years back, where I was at odds with several of my non-church friends. I asked God for support and new friendships and he provided several loving Christian women to come into my life and show interest in me. I was hugely blessed! Praying for you, Teresa. For true, loving, Christian friendships.
My heart goes out to you Teresa! I find myself coming out of a mild depression and I’ve lived some of your experiences too.
I lost my husband of 65 years and my younger brother in the space of two months!
If you don’t have a church, find one! If you have a church, go ask how you can serve and join a small group for Bible study and fellowship.
Talk with your pastor and ask for counseling!
Go for a long walk. Enjoy sunrises and sunsets. Marvel at God’s creation!
Pray constantly asking for His plan for your life and new understanding. Make Jesus your dearest friend and talk to him through your day.
He won’t let you down when you surrender yourself and your life to him!
Deanna, I love your words here.. this, is a ‘Living Letter’ in itself..
Bless you.. and thank you!❤️
Prsying for you Teresa. Holding you do close I pray you can feel His love through my prayers, dear sister..
I hope you managed to get out as hoped yesterday..( I am a tad late to the table)
Hugs,
Tina.❤️
Teresa, I know that dealing with your diagnosis is very hard but please allow the people who love you to be there for you. Let God lead you to the people that will help you the most and to the people who need your help the most. Love you, sister!
What does your “living letter” say?
My goodness, Allison
What a perfectly profound question!
I hope my living letter speaks beauty, goodness & truth into those & the world surrounding me.
So help me God.
Indeed, whst does my ‘living letter’ say..
I shall be pondering that as I go about life today..
Thank you Allison..❤️
I don’t know why, but when I woke up this morning – I thought about letters, personal letters received in the mail. Maybe it’s because I have an urge to “purge” in my house and I know I have a few boxes of letters that are very meaningful to me, especially the cards and notes from my husband and letters from family & friends when we were in seminary all those years ago…and then I go to today’s reading, and it’s Living Letters!
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My thoughts then shifted to the here and now, and how rare it is to get a personal letter in the mail. Now it’s all instant messaging or posts on Instagram and Facebook…I think I am one of the few people who still sends birthday cards – to all my family and friends.
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One day personal letters, which are part of history, will become extinct.
____
Praise God for the written word, and for all the letters we have in scripture! And praise God for the living word that is written on our hearts and that is lived out through believers today.
Lord may I a be a “living letter” that reflects Christ in all I do and say. Help me to live out your word, to be a living, breathing testimony of Jesus Christ!
Happy and blessed Friday sisters!
Thanks for sharing… well said!
Lord may I a be a “living letter” that reflects Christ in all I do and say. Help me to live out your word, to be a living, breathing testimony of Jesus Christ!
This dear Sharon, had me welling up.. Thank you.. covered in much love ❤️
Yes, as so many Shes have already commented I pray my life/letter show God to others. What eased my perfectionist heart was “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,” 2 Corinthians 3:5 ESV God will give me what I need to show Him as long as I don’t try to do it in myself.
Danielle, I love this: “God will give me what I need to show Him as long as I don’t try to do it myself.”
As I think of our lives being a letter, I realize our “letters” are not completed yet. Unlike the letters we read in the bible, where there’s a beginning, a middle, an ending. We are still in the middle, and the rest of our letter hasn’t been written yet. So, we get stuck on the bad thing that’s happening now, thinking this is the end of my story. If we stopped in the middle of Joseph’s “letter”, we would never see the part where God is glorified, Joseph is lifted up, his family is saved. So, don’t stop writing your own letter just yet, allow God to work, allow time for God to bring about His restoration, redemption, provision. Our letters are not done yet, there’s still time for God to be glorified in our letters. In the mean time, put on faith and courage. Let others “read” about our stability and endurance while we are waiting.
That is so good. We’re still in the middle of our letter…even in our 60’s, 70’s…
Just keep writing ladies!
I’m with you GRAMSIESUE, still writing.. ❤️
Amen to this, Kris. I am so glad that my “letter” is not completed yet, but that God is at the center. It gives me so much hope!
♥️
I love this, because I too love letters! I remember before email when we used to write letters! I have a whole box of them from my grandma when I moved away to go to college! Oh how it warms my soul to read them still! Also I have tons of morning notes from my husband of 14 years! Probably 200 a year! He leaves me notes most mornings still! I also have kept cards from my mother who went to the Lord in 2014, with her tongue and cheek remarks and the “love, Madre!” And the little notes thanking me for something are special too. So I love that we are letters representing Christ..by our lives! Hallelujah we have the SPIRIT in us..giving us the reflection of Him by abiding with Him!! I didn’t reflect that very well yesterday when I got really impatient and frustrated with someone in my church group because we were in two different mindsets. I was kinda snappy and hurt her feelings, I did apologize but still feel the heaviness today as I know the Lord prunes and is making me better in reflecting him!
Have a great FriYay and wkd!
My youngest son calls me Madre!
Letters, notes one liners, one worders ALL say something, right? Just to receive, brings a feeling of love and goodness.. hope..
Sending hugs to your neck of the woods, across the pond, dear Rhonda..❤️
I pray that my life is a recommendation letter to the world, of God! He is loving and so worth everything we can give and all we have and are!
I like that our letters are not just letters but recommendation letters to the World. I have written, and still write a lot of recommendation letters for student teachers. In those letters, I focus on the qualities of the person that their future employers would want in their environment. What qualities in my own self would the World want to have? The fruit of the Spirit? The qualities of love laid out in I Corinthians 13? Good things to ponder.
❤️
Amen, Erica.
Amen.❤️
SEARCHING, that same quote popped into my mind as I read Ellen’s devo! I was going to share it! ❤. :)
Beautiful read and thoughts to end this week. Prayers for all! ❤
I agree. Such beautiful heart words to end this week’s studies.
Hugs ❤️
❤
This was a beautiful tie into today’s reading that I had never thought about. We are Jesus’ love letters and we need to reflect that.
Dealing with a difficult MIL at the moment and this reminds me to treat her with love and respect even though her behavior makes me want to do otherwise.
Kelly(NEO). I love that you had a song pop in your head as your reading! Happens to me a lot!
It is a sobering thought that I am a living letter to this world about God and Jesus working in me. I pray I am a sweet fragrance of His love to the world. I know where I fall short but as I surrender to Jesus in this life, maybe people will see His grace at work in me and through me.
Yes how we need to live as willing communicators of His glorious work .. thank you SRT
My competence comes from God
Living letters … sobering to realize the importance of living our day-to-day lives in such a way that the people around us and those we encounter can ‘read’ us and learn about Christ – and that the snippet they read from us can spark a desire to know more about our Jesus, their Jesus.
1 Timothy 4:12b “set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”
Brings to mind the saying that we may be the only Bible some people ever read.
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Josh Baldwin’s song, There is Freedom, came to mind when reading 2 Corinthians 3:17. Don’t you just love to come across the Scriptures that lead to a song?
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Side note. Many people in today’s world have never received nor sent a personal letter. An old school, handwritten on paper, sealed in an envelope, stamp placed just so and then entrusted to the post office for safe delivery. I have a friend of nearly 40 years and our only method of communication is handwritten letters. Only 1 or 2 a year, but to get that surprise in the mailbox and then sit down and devour it as many times as I want … ahhhh. I think I’ll write her this weekend.
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Sisters, yesterday’s comments, insights and struggles shared as we thought about forgiving and being forgiven … thank you all.
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Praying for our caregiving sisters, LYNNE FROM AL, LINDA IN NC, NANCY S and others.
That song came to me instantly as well! I love songs that are direct scripture! I helps me memorize, and songs are a great connection as far as worshiping and praising God…it is my love language!
“We may be the only Bible some people ever read” what a word!! Thanks for sharing!!!
“we may be the only Bible some people read”. I love this Searching! For years, when I would walk into the hospital or the clinic for work I would pray, “Lord, let others see You in me. Help me be your hands and feet. ” I pray that even now on the hard days, that everyone I meet will see Jesus in me. Some days are easier than others but I always try to have a smile. I’m usually humming a song too. Have a blessed day ladies and a restful weekend! ❤️
❤️. I love that, praying as you mean to go on … with God..
Amen.
Hoping you ate well.
Much love always covered in prayers for good days..❤️
Tina❤️
Brings to mind the saying that we may be the only Bible some people ever read…
Then, I must be the best ‘living letter’ I can be!
Blessings SEARCHING covered in love and hugs.. ❤️
I wo der about my brain some days…so as I was reading verse 3, the Stevie Wonder song, “Signed, sealed, delivered, I’m yours” popped in my head…just the chorus, the rest of the song’s lyrics are not applicable.
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Anywho…
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So what are people “reading” about Jesus when I am with them? Good reminder to let Him increase in my words and actions.
:) ❤️
I love that your brain did that!!
LOL!!!!
Hahahaha! I’m happy to hear someone thinks like I do. I can entertain myself just with my goofy thoughts.
Now that song is in my head! ❤️
I love this Kelly.. and why shouldn’t Stevie Wonder s song pop into your head.. I love how God leads, points, directs us..❤️
Amen