Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:1-3

Most Believers in the church at Corinth would have known who Paul was. They would have known who Sosthenes was too because he was a local leader.

Paul starts the letter with a blessing before he gets into the reason for the letter. I’m sure that after they read the full letter, they might not have thought he was blessing them initially, but it was a common greeting.

I’ve noticed that when I write emails, I immediately go into my subject with very little “warm up” or small talk. That’s true of my business emails as well as many of my personal ones. It could be perceived as being cool and uncaring. In the back of my mind I’ve always thought that people do not have time for small talk in an email, but that’s not how others view it.

Take the time to make others feel cared for or blessed when you write to them. There are a number of ways to do it on the written page.

First, think how you’d like to be greeted. If someone asks about your spouse or kids in the beginning of a letter, do you feel more connected and “warm” towards that person? Absolutely. It doesn’t take much to show you care a little bit.

Next, at the very least go with simple “Good morning. Trust everything’s going well for you this morning” or language to that effect. Again, it’s upbeat and positive. For all you know, his morning was lousy, and he may tell you a bit about it.

Lastly, I know it seems like an impossible task, but try to smile in your correspondence. The previous point is an example of smiling in writing. Just as you should smile when you’re talking on the phone with customers, so smile in your written communications.

The Apostle Paul knew what it took to get people to listen and “hear” what he had to say. Being able to communicate encouraging and uplifting thoughts is important in a world that can be depressing and negative.