“You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone” (2 Corinthians 3:2).

Paul had been accused by his adversaries of self-commendation. He did write this letter as a defense against personal attacks. Yet, he explained that he didn’t need letters of commendation from others to support his defense—the Corinthian believers themselves were his letter of commendation.

The truth Paul established was that the results of our Christian lives speak for themselves. Our spiritual reputations are established by our influence on others. The impact our lives have had on others is the best defense any of us can have in defending our integrity. What we have done to touch others is the best demonstration we can have of who we are.

That brings us to another thought in this verse. Each of us is a letter attesting to someone’s ministry to us. Many people won’t read Paul’s letters in the New Testament, but they will read our lives. Personally, there are many people who never heard my dad preach or my teachers teach, but they will see their influences in my life. In the same way, there are people who will never hear what say but you can reach them through someone else when you touch that other person’s life. My dad has touched people he never met through his influence on me.