The new man is the one who brings happiness, fruit of the Holy Spirit, rooted itself
Many people receive the grace of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, but fail to progress in their walk of faith, because they live attached to sadness. It is similar to what happens with the parasites who cling to trees, choking them and preventing them from bearing fruit: they end up killing them. The same happens with people, who cannot bear fruit, because they are affected by “this plague”. We need to break away from all sadness to bear fruit.
Abandoning yourself to sadness is to allow yourself to die slowly. Joy is like the oxygen of our life: If we are lost and intoxicated us with sadness, we get dragged to our deaths. If we become aware that God is in control of our lives, we will have no reason to worry, as everything will be the cause for Thanksgiving. God’s will for us is joy.
The sadness of nothing; it just opens the door of our heart to the enemy; and when that happens, he takes command. We must resist and let the Holy Spirit fill our hearts with joy, because the joy of the Lord is our strength. To live always joyful we need to pray without ceasing: “always be happy. Pray continually. Give thanks in any situation, because this is the will of God, in Christ Jesus”(cf 1Thess 5.16-18).
Whenever any difficulty arises in your life, thank God, because that is his will. But do it in a way that is real, humbly, in an attitude of total abandonment of yourself.
Even when you feel like a failure in dating, at work, in friendships, remember that God is in everything. He is the absolute ruler of all things. Our life is in his hands and He fits in all the decisions.
The Holy Spirit is like a weaver who, little by little, braided threads going into a wonderful fabric. Entrust to God the threads of our lives, and only we will be able to understand the result when it is already completed.
I ask you: do you have your whole life defined? I know what your answer will be “thank God, no.” While the Holy Spirit has not finished entwining all the threads, neither you nor anyone else will be able to understand the masterpiece that the weaver is creating.
When you braid the last thread and give the final node, so we will contemplate the wonder of his work. While this moment is not enough, we will only be able to see the back of the fabric. We have to live by faith and not by sight. This is the time of abandonment and confidence.
God wants to blow on us his love to heal the painful wounds that were rooted. He wants to eliminate all causes of sadness and disappointment. It is the Holy Spirit who renews all things, goes to our heart to sadness, bitterness, disillusionment, pain, and put in its place the serenity and joy. The new man is the one who brings joy, fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Just like a harp, whose sound is a beautiful harmony needs to be very well tuned, we also need to be tuned. And who accomplishes this in us is the Lord, who restores to us the sound of joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, patience and meekness.
God creates us in our hearts and makes us new creatures full of peace, love and joy.He’s the one who harmonizes everything within us.
Your Brother
Monsignor Jonas Abib
Excerpt from the book ‘Combatentes na Alegria’, [Soldiers in Joy] by Monsignor Jonas Abib (Canção Nova DAVI)