YouVersion

Wow! For those of us who live to serve the body of Christ, what liberating inspiration 2 Cor. 3:1-4 offers! There are no degrees, certificates, or letters of recommendation needed to prove our effectiveness or productivity. In the shade of our trees lie either good fruit or bad. In the lives of those we serve, growth in God quantifies our fruitfulness. No more frustration at the thought of not having pleased other leaders around us. No more fear of letting a pastor, parent, or "partner" down! Truth in love poured out of a pure heart leads to impacted human lives. That's it. Those lives are the only letter of recommendation we need. And Paul says that this letter can only be written by Christ for God himself. The pressure is off! Leaders no longer need to focus on asserting man-made authority, but every one of us believers can serve & lead one another with the indisputable authority of Christ!