Letters of Recommendation

I have two young friends who have just graduated from college and are now about to cross one of the final frontiers ushering them into adulthood – finding a job. Not just a summer job to bring in enough money for gas, but a “real” job. A career. How to put those years of studying, tuition, and growth into a résumé so a potential employer will, at the very least, want an interview? How to communicate the progress and accomplishments to this point without inviting every past employer or professor to the interview with them? A letter of recommendation might be just the thing.

A good letter of recommendation can summarize strengths and weaknesses of an employee while also listing specific skills and accomplishments in previous positions. It can, in a nutshell, let someone know what kind of person you are by way of a credible reference.

This concept of letters of recommendation was even more important for getting to know people before the days of myspace, facebook, and google. When the apostle Paul was traveling from place to place, making tents and spreading the good news of Christ’s love for broken people, residents of towns he would visit couldn’t google him to see what he had done before his arrival. There are several places in letters of the New Testament where Paul tries to convince an audience that he is who he says he is and that God did, in fact, send him on his mission with spiritual credentials.

Look at the following passage:

                        “Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? ² You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. ³ 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.

                       ⁴ Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. ⁵ Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. ⁶ He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant – not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:1-6)

Paul spends some time in most of his letters describing his qualifications for being where and who he is in any given city. Sometimes it’s to say that all the things that old school religion says would qualify him aren’t worth squat, and sometimes it’s to say that he is an apostle just like the twelve who followed Jesus, because Christ was the One who called him to his purpose, too.

So what does it mean to be a human letter of recommendation? A good letter of recommendation will highlight for others the best of what has taken place in the course of a relationship – professional or academic. The unique aspect of what Paul is describing is that it is 100% relational: our relationship with each other and our relationship with God. Both are reflected in a person who lives life in such a way that others see a connection to our Creator. This is the letter that others read. God is the author and the world is the reader.

What’s in a good letter of recommendation? A letter of recommendation is usually written by a person who knows the applicant and will be read by a potential employer. (In my day they were sent on pretty paper with the résumé, but now everything is simply an electronic attachment.) The contents are the result of the applicant’s efforts and accomplishments during her tenure at any given place of employment or institution of learning. When Paul talks about human letters of recommendation, he uses terminology consistent with this concept. What does he say about his letters of recommendation?

1.     Written on our hearts (verse 2) – This letter is not on paper to be passed around and read in an office. It is a collection of wisdom and experience from communing with God and other believers that can be viewed by anyone with eyes to see. When someone has invested in a relationship with us that is centered on Christ, our hearts are different.

2.     Known and read by everybody (verse 2) – A human letter of recommendation reveals what God has been pouring into our lives as well as the influence of people He’s chosen to use to transform us into His image. We can make great efforts to only put our best face on for the world to see, but what is a natural overflow from the transformation God is effecting has a great impact on those around us.

3.     Result of ministry (verse 3) – Ministry is not just for missionaries and pastors. The ministry that Paul talks about is simply an intentional investment in others in which we allow God to use our life experience and what He and others have taught us to cause others to press in deeper with Him. These kinds of relationships result in human letters of recommendation – a life that reflects God’s relational activity in our lives.

4.     Written with the Spirit (verse 3) – In spite of our best efforts to disciple other Christians or instruct our children in spiritual matters, all growth toward God is the result of the Holy Spirit. This is both humbling and liberating as we remember that our responsibility is only to be responsive and obedient to God’s prompting.

God is all about our connections with Him and with each other for the greater purpose of showing the world His glory. The Holy Spirit is doing the real work and we get to be willing and active participants in the process if we choose to be.

As I’ve reflected on this passage this week, I’ve been reminded of some of the women who have allowed me to walk this journey with them and I’m grateful to have shared in the growing process and to have seen God do amazing things in and through them. Whether the process has been formal discipleship or just doing life together, I can list several cherished human letters of recommendation to go along with my eternal résumé. (Ladies, you know who you are. I love you.) And verse 6 of this passage reminds us that we are “competent ministers of a new covenant”. We are all adequately equipped to help each other grow into these human letters of recommendation. It’s not just a job for ministry leaders or pastors or “Monster Christians”, as my friend calls them. In the name of Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are all called to invest in each other.

• Take a moment to list people who have invested in your spiritual growth. Pray for them today. If God prompts you, call or write them to let them know you appreciate their investment.

• Who are you helping to become a human letter of recommendation? Is there someone in your circle of influence that God may be leading you to connect with? 

Learning From Examples

The spring before I began high school I tried out for the dance/drill team. Our high school mascot was the panther, so we were appropriately called the Pantherettes. (This was in the 80’s when adding an –ette suffix automatically made a team feminine and alluring.) I paid very close attention to every move. Tilted my head just so, jazz hands when appropriate, and never let my smile fade. And over the next few years of dancing and marching and moving with various props to please the crowd, I mastered the art of following an example. Anyone who has been a part of a marching band knows the importance of following a good example. And the folly and potential danger of following a bad example. Supposed to end up on the 50-yard line during the half-time show? Then you’d better be sure the guy in front of you knows where he’s going. 

The section of 1st Corinthians that we’re going to look at today underscores the importance of learning from someone else’s example. The chapter in my Bible is titled “Warnings From Israel’s History” and in it Paul lists stories from the books of Exodus and Numbers and how the Israelites responded to God’s activity in their midst. Not always well. 

                                    ⁶ Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. ⁷ Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.” ⁸ We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did – and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. ⁹ We should not test the Lord, as some of them did – and were killed by snakes. ¹⁰ And do not grumble, as some of them did – and were killed by the destroying angel.   

¹¹ These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.  (1 Corinthians 10:6-11)

This is one of those passages that is as clear as it can be that it is describing events and people from the Old Testament and linking them specifically to a lesson modern believers years later can learn from. No wondering if this is culturally relevant or if it was meant for us. Verse 6 makes it obvious that it is. Knowing that, what are we supposed to learn so that we won’t “set our hearts on evil things as they did”?

There are four areas of disobedience that Paul highlights for his readers. They are idolatry, sexual immorality, testing God, and grumbling. All of these examples have a specific Old Testament precedents and Paul draws his lessons directly from them. The idolatry example is from Exodus 32, when Moses goes up the mountain to meet with God and the people left in the camp make a golden calf and worship it. The charge of sexual immorality comes from Numbers 25, when several Israelites were hooking up with Moabite women. The Hebrews tested the Lord in Numbers 21 by demanding food and water and questioning God’s ability to produce them. Finally, the grumbling that occurred in Numbers 16 (accusing Moses of killing rebels rather than seeing it as God’s just punishment for sin) resulted in a plague that killed over 14,000 people. 

Let’s look at each of these areas and see why Paul mentions them here. 

Idolatry – Idolatry is placing anything or anyone above God in affection or priority. In effect, it raises something or someone to a position that is equal to or greater than God.

Sexual Immorality – This includes anything –thought or action – outside the marital relationship. Adultery, fornication, homosexuality, and fantasizing fall into this category. Paul uses the example here of intimate dalliances with foreign women, but the category of sexual immorality encompasses a wide range of sin.

Testing the Lord – The warning against testing God here implies a lack of confidence or a certain amount of skepticism in approaching Him. There are places in Scripture that urge us to test God or each other, but the implication is different. Those places encourage testing in terms of discovering by experience the full goodness of God’s character. The sin Paul talks about here is one of motivation –making considerable demands on God in order to fulfill certain expectations. 

Grumbling – This same passage is translated as “murmuring” in the King James Version of the Bible. It is complaining, protesting, or expressing discontent in subversive ways to incite dissension. It is not face-to-face confrontation with a hope of positive change and reconciliation. Rather, grumbling is often its own end, with no greater goal in mind.

Of all the sins from those strategic years in the desert, why does Paul choose these? I believe there’s something foundational in these areas of disobedience that unlocks the key to Pandora’s box of sin and rebellion in our lives. If we can get a handle on what the root issues are, we can move forward in our relationships with God and with each other. 

Each of the actions Paul mentions has a distorted view of God at their core. Without addressing those distortions our subsequent views of ourselves, each other,  and life’s circumstances will be exponentially twisted. Look at how each sin distorts our image of God:

Idolatry – When we raise something or someone to a position that is greater than God we diminish His greatness when, in fact, He cannot be changed or reduced. “I the LORD do not change.” (Malachi 3:6) Even when the elevation is unintentional, the effect is the same – we reflect our priorities and affections in how we spend our money and our time. Allowing our hearts to chase passionately after something more than we do God is idolatry.

Sexual Immorality – “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18) By sinning sexually in our thoughts or actions we are discounting the intimate connection God intended for us to have only in the marriage relationship. I sin against myself when I do not maintain the purity God requires because this contradicts the value God places on me as a vibrant, sexual being and replaces it with the belief that my most cherished, inner workings aren’t connected to God. Sexual sin pursues false intimacy because I don’t believe strongly enough in the true intimacy God has promised me.  

Testing God – By requiring God to perform at my discretion and in my timing as I express my skepticism of His character, I attempt to make Him do my bidding and perceive Him to be a being like me – which He is not. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. (Isaiah 55:8) When I am selfishly motivated and want God to prove Himself to my standards, I am trying to make God into my image instead of living as if I am made in His.

Grumbling – Complaining for the sake of complaining expresses fear of direct interaction with God or our fellow man. Is it easier to grumble under my breath or participate in a dialog that leads to solutions? Accusing others, expressing dissatisfaction, and snide comments under our breath reveal a belief in a powerless God who doesn’t care about our well being. On the other hand, speaking the truth in love, to God and to each other, leads to real understanding in community and allows God to move among us and transform us into His image.

Here’s an encouraging note in all of this talk of sin: not everyone was guilty. Each infraction is followed by “as some of them were/did”. This implies that some did not. In our community of faith there are those who are strong where we are weak, and we can learn from their lives how to keep from setting our hearts on evil things.

There is also encouragement in Romans 12:2, which says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” As we train ourselves to believe what is biblically true about God and ourselves, our behavior will take care of itself. The Holy Spirit will reveal truth to us, as well as sin patterns in our lives that God wants to address, if we are willing. We don’t have to keep making our own mistakes when we can learn from the examples of others – both good and bad – from long ago.

• In which areas of distorted thinking in this passage are you most susceptible? Where will you look for correct thinking and guidance?

• Who do you know that is strong in an area where you may be weak? How can you interact with them and follow their example? 

Where's the Fruit?

Where’s the Fruit?

When I was a kid my grandparents lived in Arizona.  Our family would often spend our spring breaks of the school year amid the aroma of orange blossoms, basking in the warm sunshine and brilliant blue skies. And like many kids, I had a grandparent who was a little eccentric. My grandfather had two life-sized mannequins in lawn chairs on his back patio who were connected to motion detector devices. When people walked by in the neighborhood, Herbert and Sherbert would start rocking in their chairs and waving. He also had the curtains in the guest bedroom wired to photoelectric cells and an old blender motor so the curtains would open with a loud whirring sound as soon as the sun came up. During my teen years, that was my particular favorite. Sheesh!

But the neighborhood favorite was a fruit tree my grandpa had in his yard of green lava rocks. It was an orange tree naturally, I believe, but he had placed plastic bananas, apples, oranges and grapes among the branches with wires so that it looked like a fruit salad tree! And my grandpa would laugh from the comfort of his air-conditioned house as he watched passersby point and gaze with wonder at his amazing creation.

I was reminded of this crazy tree as I read the first few chapters of 1 Corinthians this week. Paul writes to the “church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy”. (1 Corinthians 1:2) The church in Corinth was made up of people from many cultural and economic backgrounds. When the Jews were expelled from Rome in the 1^st century, many of them went to Corinth. They congregated in house churches with other believers from various backgrounds to form the early Christian community in the area. Paul is writing to the Christians in Corinth to address some specific spiritual issues and begins his letter with some very encouraging words:

I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. ⁵ For in him you have been enriched in every way – in all your speaking and in all your knowledge – ⁶because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. ⁷ Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. ⁸ He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. (1 Corinthians 1:4-9)

These verses are the foundation for the church’s identity. Look at what they can claim:

1)   They are enriched. Verse 5 says, “…in him you have been enriched in every way”. In what they say, in what they know, they are reflecting all the goodness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Their quality of life is enhanced and their lives have more value because of their relationship with Christ.

2)   They are equipped. Verse 7 says that they “do not lack any spiritual gift”. God has given them every spiritual quality they need to live victoriously and joyfully.

3)   They are fortified. Verse 8 promises that Christ will keep these believers strong. Just like breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamins and minerals to make the kids who eat them stronger and healthier, Jesus gives His followers all the strength they need to resist temptation, triumph over difficulties, and grow in character.

4)   They are justified. Only faith in the risen Christ can allow these believers to come to God justified – just as if they’d never sinned. His death and resurrection make it possible to approach God’s throne and stand in His Presence without fear of judgment.

   

But here’s the part when the fruit may or may not be fit for consumption. In the following chapters of this letter, Paul has some fairly harsh things to say about this group of Christians. In spite of this glowing introduction, reminding them of all they are because of the power and grace of God, Paul needs to address some pretty base issues of morality and behavior in this community. Take a look at some of his concerns:

You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? (1 Corinthians 3:3)

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. ² And you are proud! (1 Corinthians 5:1-2)

The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? ⁸ Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers. (1 Corinthians 6:7-8)

In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. ¹⁸ In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. (1 Corinthians 11: 17-18)

  

Jealousy, quarreling, sexual immorality, pride, cheating each other, divisions… How can this be the same group of people that are enriched, equipped, fortified and justified? What kind of fruit is this community tree producing?! And I’m not the first to highlight this discrepancy. James wrote: Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? (James 3:10-12) How can Christians who have been given everything they need for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness miss the mark so frequently and fall so short of God’s desires and standards? How do I allow it to happen in my own life?

There is a key element to healthy, consistent fruit that is simple, but hard to implement. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) If I have been given a treadmill, but don’t walk on it, I will not improve my cardiovascular health. If I have been given a sonic care toothbrush, but don’t charge the battery, my dentist won’t see the difference. If my son is given Flintstone chewable vitamins, but doesn’t eat them, his bones and muscles won’t reap the benefits of the nutrients inside.

As followers of Christ, we have been given everything we need to live the abundant life Jesus came to give us. However, when we fail to connect to the very source of those blessings, the fruit we produce is anything but fresh and nutritious. What we can eke out on our own is nothing compared to the glorious results that Christ wants to produce in us as we live in close, intimate relationship with Him.

What does it look like to remain in Christ and make the most of the blessings He’s already bestowed?

• Gratitude – Cultivating gratitude is good for our disposition, and developing the habit reminds us to look for the positive in our lives and acknowledge its source. This may be thanking God for a meal before we eat it, writing what we are thankful for in a journal, or simply saying, “thanks be to God!” when we hear good news.

• The Word – There is no substitute for reading, knowing and meditating on God’s Word. I notice a difference in my demeanor and in my relationships when I am not consistently spending time with God in the Bible. He speaks to me, convicts me of truth, and encourages me through the words written hundreds or thousands of years ago. No substitute. (Did I say that already?)

• Communication – I need to hear from God and I need to pour out my heart to Him. That’s what prayer is. Quiet, meditative time as well as quick, “help me!” prayers. Constant awareness of His Presence has long been the goal of many contemplatives through the ages. God is present while I change a diaper, when I am under the pressure of a deadline at work and in every conversation.

We have been given every spiritual blessing – new birth into a living hope – everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. (Ephesians 1:3, 1 Peter 1:3, 2 Peter 1:3) We have been enriched, equipped, fortified, and justified. How will we respond? Will we ignore our blessings and take them for granted, or will we make every effort to remain connected to the Source of our blessings and allow Him to transform us into the people He created us to be?

• Where do you see discrepancies in your life between the life God has called you to and the life you see played out? Words? Actions? Attitudes?

• What steps will you take this week to connect with God?

I Don't Get It

I Don’t Get It

Read the following passages of Scripture and see if you have an initial gut reaction to them that’s good or… something else.

No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. (1 John 3:6)

Because you did not serve the LORD your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the LORD sends against you. (Deuteronomy 28:47-48)

 

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. (Ephesians 5:22-23)

Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. (James 3:1)

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

These passages are among those over which I have prayed, struggled and which I have questioned at one point or another in my relationship with God. And I’m not alone in this tension. There’s a question I hear in various groups and conversations I’ve been a part of over the years. Sometimes it’s posed as such; other times it’s implied: What do you do with Scripture that makes you uncomfortable, you don’t understand, or you simply don’t like? I’ve yet to run into someone who studies the Bible and understands and easily embraces all of it, so to say this is a common issue is an understatement.

There are lots of reasons we may bump up against certain parts of God’s Word. It may be obscure and confusing. It may hit too close to home. It may simply be irrelevant for our current season of life. I once heard someone say that not all of the Bible was written to us, but all of the Bible was written for us. Specific prophecies, descriptions and commands need to be filtered through societal and circumstantial context, while much of God’s Word is straightforward enough to enlighten, convict and encourage without digging very deep for understanding.

But what about those parts that just don’t sit well with us upon first glance, or even with deeper study? Do we get to randomly pick and choose the parts that will apply to us? Can we dismiss sections of Scripture as irrelevant or untrue? And these musings lead us to perhaps the most disturbing question of all: are there contradictions in Scripture that make it unreliable? If we say we believe it and want to follow God, the answers to these questions matter. So how should we proceed through this potentially rocky terrain?

Here are some possible approaches to sticky spots in Scripture:

1.     “Lord, what are you revealing about yourself?” – God is all about relationship. He wants to be loved, known and understood so our relationship with Him can grow. In seemingly obscure laws in Leviticus concerning treatment of mold, skin rashes, and food restrictions, God reveals His concern for a wandering people and their physical well-being. In laws restricting sexual relations, He reveals His desire for strong families and pure relationships. His character and thoughts are so beyond ours that a lifetime of learning about Him and spending time with Him would never be adequate to fully grasp the depth of His love or power. Therefore each encounter with Scripture, God’s blueprint for life and love letter to His children, is an opportunity to see more clearly the God who created us to be in relationship with Him.

2.     “What is the context? – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…” (2 Timothy 3:16) Some of the Bible is poetic, some is historical, some is descriptive, some is proscriptive. We do well to read large chunks of Scripture to get a feel for what God meant to say and for what the human author meant to convey, based on his own experience with God. Who were the people reading the letter? What were the societal and economic factors of the time period? What was happening historically?

3.     “Holy Spirit, be my guide.” – Jesus told His disciples that “when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth”. (John 16:13) Paul told the Christ followers in Rome that the Spirit helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us when we don’t know how to pray. (Romans 8:26) When we don’t understand Scripture or it rubs us the wrong way, the Holy Spirit is the best teacher to enlighten us. But remember that the Holy Spirit’s job description also includes convicting us of sin, so He may guide us into some unpleasant but necessary personal examination.

Let’s look at how to apply these principles to one of the Scriptures we started with. The passage in Deuteronomy had me scratching my head this week. Why does God bless His children with prosperity only when they do exactly what He tells them to do? Where does free will come into that? If there’s a direct correlation to obedience and prosperity, all the obedient people will be prosperous and the ones who are disobedient and rebellious will be obvious by the boils on their skin, broken families, empty bank accounts and unhappy hearts, right? Is God really so loving if He only pours out His blessing on those who follow His rules? And why do bad things still happen to me when I am being obedient? These were some of the questions in my head this week. So I began looking at the context, asking God to reveal Himself and inviting the Holy Spirit to instruct and convict me. I still have questions, but I heard God say two specific things to me in reference to this passage. The first was that His laws are for our good so when He instructs us to follow them, He’s leading us into life that is full and healthy. I know that and can trust that about Him. The second thing was that His blessings don’t always look the way I anticipate. He is a perfect and sovereign God who saved me from the punishment my sins deserve and He can do whatever He chooses as Savior and Creator. But it will always, always, always be what’s best for me in His perfect plan. Always.

So I got something but not all questions answered or conflict resolved. And I got to hear from God. That is the only reward I’ve come to expect or desire. Beyond understanding, I crave connection. And in that He is most consistent.

Because I’m a bottom line kind of girl, here are a couple that may reassure when not all the questions get answered:

1.     When our perspective clashes with what we come across in Scripture, we are the ones who must change. Where there’s friction in life or between us and Scripture, chances are God’s going to use it to change us and reveal Himself to us. That’s not something we need to fear or run from. He is completely trustworthy and faithful.

2.     It’s okay not to have it all figured out. God is God and we are not. He may or may not choose to reveal His perspective to us in confusing parts of His Word. If that’s the case, I figure I can’t be held accountable for something He hasn’t specifically revealed to me as my responsibility. God is completely qualified to run the universe and judge people’s hearts. I am not.

I pray that God will reveal Himself to you in His Word this week, that the Holy Spirit will guide you in truth, and that you will be changed by your encounter in God’s living and loving words to you.