Blessed by Serving!!

I spoke a couple of weeks ago about God's favour. In 2 Corinthians 6 Paul (the apostle) seemed to be amazed that people could hear of what Jesus gave for them and still be so mean of spirit and ungenerous to others."God is for you!" Get your head around that.Last week Isaiah 58 spoke about fasting. Some people were looking the goods but really they were just selfish laws unto themselves. Where does that apply to me? Am I just a person whose life is a well trodden-path of ingrained behaviours? Do I live a life that says, ‘This is my place, these are my people and I am the standard by which I compare everyone else’?Whew! That sounds and feels mean.Last year the St Phil's staff prayerfully played around with the phrase, 'Blessed through serving'. My picture of St Philips is people who know where to go to get agape (God's) love, who they can share love with and together, looking out, who they can extend that love to.It's like love-driven groups or families being blessed by serving.Lo and behold, in my morning time with God this week I read Jeremiah 2:20 which says, “Long ago you broke off your yoke and tore off your bonds; you said, ‘I will not serve!’" A spirit that has no heart for service can never be holy.Quite some years ago someone came to me and said they'd really like to do something in or around the church that would really help me. I thought, and said, what we really need is the front section of the church grounds mown. They said that I didn't really understand; they really wanted to serve me! I said they didn't understand that mowing the church would really serve me! They said they didn't want to mow the church grounds. I left it there.Jesus served- even to death on a cross. Service is the path of and to blessing, God's blessing.Thank you to the many brothers and sisters who have served me by pouring a glass of water, welcoming me in, offering prayerful advice, turning up, asking how they can help and then joyfully doing it.Christian family on mission blessed through serving!That's how I see 2014.Blessings, Malcolm