How God Uses Ordinary Lives to Tell an Extraordinary Story

Our Lives are Letters of Recommendation

2 Corinthians 3:1–3 CSB

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some, 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 Christ’s letter, delivered by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God—not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Introduction

One of the things I get asked quite often—especially as a pastor—is to be a reference for someone applying for a job. Now, on paper, that seems simple. But let me tell you… sometimes it’s anything but.

I remember one time, a friend of mine asked me to be a reference for a job working with people considered “vulnerable.” The only issue was… my friend herself was also fairly vulnerable. Emotionally, circumstantially—you name it. And suddenly, I was in that tension: I want the best for my friend, but I also can’t lie. I’m a Christian. And to make things more complicated—I actually knew the people running the organisation.

So I open the reference form and start reading questions like:

“Would you describe this person as emotionally balanced?” (I’d say she has a full range of emotions… often all before lunch. So yes, balanced in the sense that no single emotion dominates for too long.)

“How does this individual respond to unexpected challenges?” (Somewhere between proactive problem-solving and voice-noting me five times in a row. So, she responds… passionately.)

“Would you confidently recommend this person to represent our organisation?” (Confidently? Let’s just say… I’d recommend her with measured optimism and a fully charged phone—just in case they need to call me.)

But instead of just ticking boxes and giving kind-but-honest answers, I decided to do something different. I reached out to the organiser—since I knew them—and asked if we could talk face to face. And to their credit, they agreed.

We met, and I walked them through my thoughts. I praised my friend’s many strengths—her heart, her energy, her willingness to help—but I also explained that placing her in a role requiring high emotional stability, constant care, and attentiveness might end up hurting her, the people she’d be working with, and the organisation. They appreciated the honesty, and they were so gracious about it.

In fact, they still invited her to the interview. And as they explained the nature of the job to her, she came to realise on her own that this might not be the ideal role for where she was in life at that moment.

And you know what? God has since opened a different door for her—a job that’s still fulfilling and engaging, just not one that involves the care of vulnerable individuals.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

I used to think readiness was about confidence—until I realised that when your life becomes a letter of recommendation, you’re not just holding a message… you are the message. And that carries weight.

And in the ancient world, they understood that weight deeply.

You see, in the Greco-Roman world, letters of recommendation weren’t just formalities or reference checks—they carried weight. They weren’t just about skills or achievements; they spoke of character, relationship, and trust.

A recommendation wasn’t just a transaction—it was a personal endorsement, and the one writing it put their reputationon the line.

And in a similar way, I believe God is still in the business of writing letters of recommendation today.

Only now, He’s not using paper and ink. He’s using people.

People whose lives carry His signature. People in whom His Spirit has written something deeply personal and transformational. People like you and me.

I remember as a teenager being told I had a “strong testimony.” To be honest, I liked the attention that came with that—and I struggled with it. Before I gave my heart to Jesus, I was invited to speak on local television a few times to share my story and even play some flute. And of course, all of that came with a bit of public sympathy and curiosity. I remember one interview where the reporter asked if I believed in Santa. I gave an honest answer—an answer I would still give today (though I won’t tell you what it was!). But the next day, when the newspaper article came out, I found that she had written the exact opposite of what I’d actually said.

Now I know why this “Santa thing” has always been slightly triggering for me. (Just kidding… sort of.)

But seriously, over time, as my relationship with God began to grow, something shifted. I started to see that even though my life hadn’t been perfect—even though I had grown up in an orphanage—God’s hand had never stopped writing. I became more open about my story, not to centre myself, but to point others to the Author. The one who wasn’t just in my past, but who was still writing each chapter of my life with grace and purpose.

Hebrews 12:2 CSB

keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

That means your story matters.

Your life, your pain, your progress—it all matters.

The highs and lows, the blessings and the bruises, every lesson you’ve learned and every battle you’ve fought—they are not wasted.

If Jesus is the author of your life, He will turn moments of sorrow into joy, and trials into testimonies.

You are a letter of recommendation.

So today, I want to reflect on what it means for us to be a letter from Christ.

Because like every letter, there are three things that must happen for it to fulfil its purpose:

A letter must be written.

A letter must be delivered.

A letter must be read.

__________________________________________________

Point 1: The Letter Must Be Written

2 Corinthians 3:3 CSB

You show that you are Christ’s letter, delivered by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God—not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Explanation:

Every letter begins with someone who writes it. In Paul’s case, he says that the Corinthians are a letter—but not one he wrote alone.

They are a letter from Christ, and the Spirit of the living God is the ink.

Before a letter can be read or delivered, it first needs to be written.

And when it comes to our lives, I want to remind us of something that might feel both humbling and freeing: we are not the authors of our story.

Yes, you have choices.

Yes, your actions matter.

But the pen that writes your story—the one shaping each chapter—is held by Another.

Pastor and author Paul Tripp puts it like this:

“Better than anything impressive you could accomplish in this life, your life story is a biography of wisdom and grace written by Another.”

And he’s right.

You are not writing an autobiography.

You have been invited into a much greater story—God’s story.

A redemptive story.

A story that doesn’t begin with your achievements and doesn’t end with your failures.

A story where Christ is the author, and His Spirit is the ink.

That means every joy and every heartbreak, every opportunity and every obstacle, every twist in the plot—none of it is random.

It’s all being written with purpose.

That’s why Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3 that we are “letters from Christ... written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God.”

God doesn’t just use paper.

He writes on hearts.

He’s not interested in surface-level edits

He’s doing a deep work, a personal work, one that only the Holy Spirit can do.

And if you’ve ever looked back on your life and thought, “I would have written this differently,” you’re not alone. I’ve been there.

But can I encourage you today?

The One writing your story sees the end from the beginning.

He knows how to redeem the broken chapters and turn what looks like a setback into a setup for His glory.

So let me ask you: Are you willing to let Him write?

Before your life can speak of His glory, you have to let Him write on the pages of your heart.

Before you can be sent out as a letter to others, you must surrender the pen.

Because if you’re a follower of Jesus, your life is no longer yours to control.

And thank God for that. Because in His hands, your life becomes a masterpiece of mercy.

Jeremiah 31:33 ““Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

Ezekiel 36:26 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

In the past, God wrote on tablets of stone but because of Jesus’ fulfilled mission on earth and on the cross and becaue He sent the Holy Spirit to live tithin us, God now writes directly on our hearts.

Your can live a life of transformation—a life rewritten by the Spirit of God

Spiritual Parallel:

If you are in Christ, your life is not just repaired—it’s rewritten.

The Spirit of God has etched His truth, His love, His grace onto the fabric of who you are.

Your life is a testimony of God’s authorship.

Application:

Maybe you’re here today, and if you’re honest, it feels like someone else has been writing your story—someone other than Jesus. I know what that feels like.

For a long time, I felt the same. I used to blame so many things for the way my story had unfolded.

I blamed my father—for his violence, for his drinking.

I blamed my mother—for staying with him for all those years and not protecting us.

I blamed the system that raised me, the orphanage directors, the politicians, the corruption… the list could go on.

And you know what? Some of those people did leave painful marks on the early chapters of my life.

But here’s the truth: I can’t rewrite what they wrote.

I can’t go back and erase the ink.

But what I can do—what you can do—is change who holds the pen moving forward.

There came a moment in my life when I decided to hand the pen over.

To say, “Jesus, I want You to write the rest of my story.”

People sometimes ask me, “Would you change anything about your past?” And my answer has always been: No.

Because even though others tried to write my identity, shape my future, define my worth—it’s been many years now since I gave the pen to Another Author.

The Author and Perfecter of my faith—Jesus Christ.

And because of that, my story won’t end the way it started.

It’s being rewritten, restored, and redeemed—line by line—by the greatest Author in history.

And I get to be His letter of recommendation. And so do you.

So if you’re tired of trying to edit your life or letting others write your worth, maybe today is the day.

Decide to give Jesus the pen. Let Him write something new.

Because when He writes your story, it doesn’t end in shame—it ends in glory.

____________________________

Point 2: The Letter Must Be Delivered

2 Corinthians 3:3 CSB

You show that you are Christ’s letter, delivered by us,

✅ Explanation:

Letters were never meant to stay with the writer. They had a destination.

Paul says the Corinthian believers were “delivered by us”—that is, Paul and his companions helped bring this letter to life, but it was for others to receive.

If your life has been written by the hand of Jesus, it’s not just for your benefit. You’re not meant to be a framed letter on the wall—a nice story people glance at now and then. You are meant to be sent.

Paul says, “You are a letter from Christ… known and read by everyone.” That means your life carries a message—and God intends to deliver it to the people around you.

And that delivery isn’t random.

Think of Esther. A young woman, orphaned, raised by her cousin Mordecai, taken into the Persian palace under circumstances she didn’t choose. Her life seemed to be written by forces far outside of her control.

But then, at the crucial moment—when the lives of her people were at stake—her uncle speaks the words that changed everything:

Esther 4:14 CSB

If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place, but you and your father’s family will be destroyed. Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.”

And Esther listens.

She humbles herself.

She steps into courage.

She stops asking, “Why me?” and starts asking, “What now?”

And that shift didn’t just change her story—it saved a nation.

You may not live in a palace, but you have circles of influence—family, neighbours, colleagues, friends.

And you are there for such a time as this.

Yes, the world is anxious.

Yes, it’s hard to find good news on your feed.

Yes, you may feel tempted to shrink back, to close the envelope of your life and seal it tight.

But God didn’t write your story so it could be hidden.

He sends you—right into the world’s anxiety, fear, and confusion—so that people might see the Author through you.

So don’t seal yourself off.

✝️ Spiritual Parallel:

Your life is a letter—not just for you.

It’s for your family,

your workplace,

your neighbourhood,

your church.

God is sending you somewhere to be seen, to be known, to be read.

🧭 Application:

Don’t hold back your story.

Don’t hide what God is doing in you.

Live in such a way that people encounter Jesus through the everyday pages of your life.

Don’t silence the story He’s writing through you.

You were sent to shine, to speak, to show the world that Jesus is still writing redemptive stories.

And that brings us to our final point:

Point 3: The Letter Must Be Read

“…to be known and read by all.” (2 Cor. 3:2)

✅ Explanation:

Paul knew that lives transformed by Christ would speak louder than any written letter.

A letter only works when it’s opened and read.

He believed that others would read the Corinthian believers—and see Jesus.

✝️ Spiritual Parallel:

It’s not enough for a letter to be written, and it’s not enough for it to be delivered.

A letter’s purpose is only fulfilled when it’s read.

Paul says that we are “known and read by everyone.”

Your life—how you speak, how you serve, how you love, how you live—is constantly being read by the people around you.

And in a world filled with voices, platforms, and opinions, this is more relevant than ever.

I see so many people online engaging in endless debates—whether it's on their social media pages, through podcasts, or even in places like Speaker’s Corner.

But let’s be honest: most people will never read a Bible before they’ve read your life.

And for some people, your life may be the only Bible they’ll ever read.

Your story, your character, your consistency—that’s the message they see first.

So here’s the challenge: what are they reading?

It’s in vain that we tell others to read the Bible if our own lives don’t align with it.

It’s in vain that we encourage people to go to church if we don’t show up ourselves. And I’ve often thought—how easy would it be if every one of us simply invited one friend to church each Sunday? But the truth is, many of us don’t.

It’s in vain that we ask people to pray to God if we won’t take the time to pray with them or for them.

People need more than our encouragement—they need our example.

They need to see what faith looks like when it’s lived out.

You have been called to point others to the Author of faith.

But let me say this with love: Make sure you’re walking in that direction yourself.

Because what good is a letter if it’s confusing, inconsistent, or unreadable?

Let your life be legible.

Let your faith be visible.

Let your love be undeniable.

Because when others read your life, they should be drawn not to your story—but to your Saviour.

You may be the only Gospel someone reads.

Your life—how you speak, how you serve, how you love—can either draw someone to Jesus or push them away.

When they read you, will they recognise the Author?

🧭 Application:

Ask: What are people reading when they watch my life?

Conclusion: Changing Gears

But what if you're not just the letter?

What if God wants to use you to write new stories in the lives of others?

What if… you are the pen?

Let me tell you a story.

Over 500 years ago, a monk named Martin Luther picked up his pen—and with it, changed the world. Through his writings—the 95 Theses, sermons, and bold Scripture-saturated pamphlets—he challenged corruption and called the Church back to God’s Word. He translated the Bible into German so the ordinary person could hear God speak. His pen became a flame that ignited the Protestant Reformation.

Reflecting on this, Luther said:

“I did nothing; the Word did everything.”

And though the quote is often attributed to him, whether he said it or not, this truth still rings:

“If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.”

But God doesn’t need a pen made of metal.

He wants to use you.

The only difference is:

You are the pen.

And for God to write His redemptive story in your family, your community, your workplace, and your church:

You must be held by the Author.

You must be filled with His Spirit.

You must be guided by His hand.

Imagine what our church would look like if each one of us lived like a pen:

Willing to be picked up and used.

Ready to be filled daily with the Spirit.

Joyfully surrendering to the direction of God's hand.

Call to Respond:

What story is God wanting to write through you? What page is He turning in your life today? Will you let Him hold you, fill you, and guide you?

The world doesn’t just need another sermon. It needs a story. A testimony. A letter.

And you are the pen. Let Him write.