What would you think if you sat down in a restaurant and the waiter came over, smiled and said, “Hello! I’ve come to read your letter.” Maybe you go to a quick lube for an oil change. As the attendant walks to your car, he says, “Good morning! May I read your letter please?” Perhaps as your doctor examines you, he asks, “May I read your letter now?” This is a question you would probably not expect in any of these scenarios. But this is, in fact, what takes place every time we have contact with another person. Whether we are aware of it or not, they are reading our mail. We should be conscious of that and help them properly interpret what they are reading.

In 2 Corinthians chapter 3, Paul wrote his letter to those in the church at Corinth. In verses 2 and 3, he states, “You are our epistle (letter) written in our hearts, known and read of all men: forasmuch as you are manifestly declared to be the epistle (letter) of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.”

Here, Paul was reminding them to be constantly aware that they were a living, breathing letter to those with whom they would come in contact. He encourages them to exhibit behavior that matches their new position as believers. Peter further clarifies the Christian position in 1 Peter 2:9.

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

Christianity comes with the responsibility of shining forth the light of our Savior to all whom we encounter. That letter “written on our hearts,” was not written by us, but rather the Holy Spirit of God when we were born again. He also continues to write as we allow Him to mature us; shaping us into the image of Christ. This should mean that our best is yet to come, provided that we allow Him to perform His work.

But then, many times we may choose to hide our letter, or even change its meaning by our actions. Meanwhile, others may fail to correctly read us and thus place little, if any value on our lives. “The Author and Finisher of our faith” established our full value when He purchased us on the cross. We should never be guilty of discounting ourselves, for when we do we are discounting our Savior as well. In the same way, we should never discount others, since the same price was paid for them as was paid for all.

The lives we are living should always match the price that was paid to redeem us. Anything less, disparages our blessed Redeemer.