Day 28 - PRUNING
KEATON TUCKER, YA GROUPS TEAM LEAD
“Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:2
Pruning. Not like the Olsen twins though.
There are these moments or seasons in life where things fall apart. And there are seasons when it feels like you're barely making it. There are times when you are in absolute bliss and there are seasons when you are doing "all the right things" and it feels like death. And there are also seasons where nothing seems to be moving forward at all but you keep going in circles. Right now my life feels like nothing is going the way it should.
Jesus says in John 15. "every branch that does not bear fruit my Father prunes".
Remember how I said nothing was going the way I thought it should?
That's because it wasn't. The problem though wasn't the outcome. It was an underlying problem I had that was hidden inside of me, a way of living where I thought I could control every outcome of my life. Instead of living a life of surrender, I was living a life of control and I actually had no idea. I needed to be pruned.
Pruning sucks. It feels terrible. In other parts of the Bible, it's called "being disciplined" or "removing the weeds" and it's even called "refiners fire". Being pruned is the process God takes you through because some stuff in your life cannot exist in you if you want to become more like Jesus. Believe it or not, God wants you to become more like Jesus and less like your old self, and lots of times that means getting rid of lots of the fleshly stuff. (See Colossians 3) Like my need to be in control of my life all the time. I kept praying like the enemy was against me but I was really asking the great heart surgeon to stop performing heart surgery. His answer "no, you need this... you dummy" (Jk, God didn't call me a dummy).
Maybe the whole world right now is getting a much-needed pruning session with God.
Pruning is for the purpose of "bearing more fruit" (John 15) What fruit?
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
I don't know about you but I want MORE of that fruit in my life so if it takes painful pruning, I'm all about it. If I give up control for a life of surrender I'll experience more joy!? More Peace?! I want that.
Ask God "what are you trying to teach me?" and "what are you trying to teach me that I am resisting/ignoring?" Prayerful examination of the heart with God helps us not resist the good work he is doing in us. Remember, God works all things together for our good. Not just our circumstances and outcomes, but your heart also. He might just be pruning you.
Guess what though?
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control is on the other side.
Read John 15 over and over and over. You will find rest for your soul in the words of Jesus as he talks about pruning, abiding, and bearing more fruit.