Gratitude
How to experience one’s own revival
The Risen Jesus came to give you a new kind of life. He came to change your entire existence and thus “anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come” (2 Cor 5:17).
This new experience of existing in Christ is dynamic and therefore it grows in order to remain alive. The project of the Lord for you and me is this: “They will be alive with new growth, and beautiful like olive trees” (Hos 14:6).
Your future is meant to be beautiful! Still, there’s something in our hearts that can hinder this divine growth and blessing: the lack of gratitude. It happens when we receive favors from God and express no tangible thankfulness for them.
Take a while and reflect upon your past. Remember the remarkable acts of his providence, a change in the course of events, something that saved you from ruin. Try to write down instances of goodness when you were in sin, before conversion, and for which you have not given enough thanks.
St. Paul wrote: “Be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus” (1 Thes 5:18). Every gesture of gratefulness marks a new beginning. A new door is open for you to taste the gift of new life in Jesus. Do you want to give it a chance? What about starting again with some gesture of thanksgiving toward Jesus, your Lord and Savior?
What shall we do? Let’s be radical again! Let’s show him our gratitude through being faithful to our commitments: House of Prayer, Agapito meeting and especially our Koinonia meeting every month! Indeed, as the Psalmist proclaims: “I will thank you in the assembly of your people; I will praise you before them all” (Ps 35:18).
BUILD A CITY!
HAGA CLIC AQUI PARA VER VERSÓIN BILINGÜE
The Second Book of Samuel says this: “After capturing the fortress, David lived in it and named it ‘David's City.’ He built the city around it … He grew stronger all the time, because the Lord God Almighty was with him. King Hiram of Tyre sent a trade mission to David; he provided him with cedar logs and with carpenters and stone masons to build a palace. And so David realized that the Lord had established him as king of Israel and was making his kingdom prosperous for the sake of his people” (2 Sm 5:9-12).
David was a righteous man. Before building a royal palace for himself he decides to take care of his people. He builds a city for them. He loves his people more then he loves himself. He loves them because he loves the Lord. He knows that they are not really his, they are the Lord’s people.
When the Lord sees David’s caring heart he starts to accompany and strengthen him and then provides everything necessary in order to give David a new palace.
Paul the Apostle teaches us: “none of you should be looking out for your own interests, but for the interests of others” (1 Cor 10:24). Why is this? Because the Lord loves his people: “they are the people I made for myself … my chosen people whom I love” (Is 43:21; 44:2).
Honor the people of God and God will honor you!
Be like David, build a city before you start to think about a palace!
Let this Lent be the time for edifying the City of God: his people.
“Be concerned with his Kingdom, and he will provide you…” (Lk 12:31).