Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. 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. II Corinthians 3:1-3
‘Preach the gospel at all times. And if necessary, use words.’ St. Francis of Assisi
Just a quick observation today. Paul was telling the people at Corinth that they themselves were the fruit of his teachings and ministry. Yes, he wrote letters, but the real message is the lives of those who hear and respond to that message. The word itself can be sterile, or misused if not informed by the Spirit of God. We are the living message of God’s plan.
Have you seen people twist the words of the Bible to their own ends? Didn’t some of the preachers in the Deep South in the early 1800’s pervert the words of the Bible to justify slavery? Yes, we can make the Bible say what we want it to, but the test of truth is the transformation it brings in the lives of the hearers.
Prayer: Lord, help us always to test the truth of your word with the Spirit’s guidance, Amen
Reflections of a Counselor 