Sweeter Roses

Some roses smell nice, but some others have little aroma. The ones that smell weak can’t work harder at being sweet smelling and therefore achieve it. Better fertilizer, more water, more sun; these things may help, but holding its breath and squinting its eyes will not force more rose smell into the air around it.

What will help me be more awesome? Can I just promise to try harder? What would trying harder even look like?

Suppose I commit to making myself more available to the Spirit of Life, so that He can be the Strength and Light and Water that I need to be fully the “me” that He wants me to be? More time digging into the Scriptures can make me more knowledgeable of His ways and His desires. More time talking to Him and listening to Him can make me more aware of the ways He wants me to invest the resources of time and money and information that He trusts me with. More time in the presence of people who are more mature than me can influence me with challenges to move farther out on the ice of life than may look safe. More time in the presence of people who need to see Jesus manifest in my life so that they have access to Him that they don’t even know is available yet can make me more like Him.

These “disciplines” can help me grow as a “disciple.” There are many others. Ask the Spirit.