During the week I was at a chapel service at my daughter’s
school. The priest leading the service
made a point that it doesn’t matter how technically well we do something, if we
have not got the philosophy right of why we do it.
In our current series of the Prodigal God we are looking at
Luke 15:11 – 32. In it we encounter the
older son. In the story we get a picture
of someone who works hard, is diligent and can be relied upon. However, what we saw last week in worship was
that his heart was not in the right place.
He worked to protect his inheritance with no thought of the relationship
he could have with his father.
Many of us appreciate the importance of well run activities,
of highly organised groups and a church where everything happens efficiently
and effortlessly. I very much appreciate
the leadership that is given by so many people in our congregation that allows
this to happen. We can be very grateful
for our team leaders on Church Council, the leaders of our engage and explore
groups, the people who fulfil important and necessary administrative tasks,
those who prepare and lead our worship services and the many people who take
their places on our rosters. Without you
our church would not be able to offer the ministry that it does, nor would it
function as it does. Please know that
your contributions help realise God’s potential and plan for this congregation.
However, it is very easy for us in our church activities or
our own lives to become like the older son.
We can be consumed by what we do and forget the reason that we do
it. Ultimately, the service that we give
and the life that we live is a response to gift of grace given to us in Jesus
Christ. So I invite you to reflect on
the questions below and ask these about your life and about your service in the
church.
1.
Do you prayerfully submit all aspects of your life and
service to God, asking him to show you his way and being willing to be taken
from your way?
2.
Do you intentionally seek to honour God through your
lifestyle, giving him glory rather than seeking it for yourself?
3.
Would other people say that your service and your
Christian lifestyle brings you joy?
4.
Do you gripe and whinge about your service more than
you tell good news stories?
5.
Are you constantly thinking of new ways to reflect
Christian values through your life and your group?
As you answer these questions, if you find that your service
is more about what you do than why you do it, I encourage you to reconnect with
the grace and love of God. See the way
that he runs to embrace the lost younger son.
See the way that he pleads with the lost older son to come into the banquet. Taste the goodness of his love for us as he
sits us at the table of eternal life.
Respond to all he has done in your life.
Grace and peace
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