Blooming? How Do I Do That?

Now that we know how to keep from damaging our rose , we should talk about how to BLOOM. Blooming is very important in the life of a rose. Roses are known for their extravagant beauty, but without blooming they aren't really noteworthy. A man doesn't give a woman a bouquet of roses that hasn't bloomed. He gives her roses that have already bloomed and carry much beauty. Likewise, God wants to see us bloom, but he isn't referring to outward beauty. 1 Peter 3:3-4 "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight" A gentle and quiet spirit. Now that doesn't mean that an outgoing person has to become shy. What it means is a self-controlled person. A person who carries much wisdom but rather than boasting in that wisdom, uses it to grow, just like a rose blossoms. How do you obtain a gentle and quiet spirit? Phillipians 4:8 says to focus on "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on those things" So remember the bugs that can infest a rose? Don't dwell with or on those things. Focus instead on the words of Jesus Christ, and whatever is GOOD. And in our heart of hearts, we know what is true, honorable, right, and pure and we know what we need to change in our lives to be able to focus on them. Use God's heavenly bug repellent and latch onto his truth.