Pruned

1 May

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.”  (Jn 15:1-2)

None of us — not a one of us — likes to be pruned.

We don’t like to be corrected.

We don’t like to have to change.

We don’t like doing things other than what we want to do.

However, if we are followers of the Lord, there is going to be quite a bit of “pruning” involved in our lives.

Why?

Because God, the vine grower, wants to make sure that we produce the most fruit and the best fruit possible.

I remember the days, and weeks, and months, and years that my father used to spend on the grape vines in our backyard.  He used to instruct us on the proper methods for pruning plants and shrubs and trees.

To me, a child, the thought of pruning seemed ludicrous.  After all, how could something grow and produce if you kept chopping it up?  It seemed like such a contradictory thing to do.

However, dad had the best fruit trees and plants and vines that I had ever seen.

He tended his garden and yard with what can only be described as love.

Our Heavenly Father does to the to us, His garden.  He tends us.  He prunes us and chops us up when necessary.

Why?

So we, too, could grow and produce even more abundantly.

Do not fear the pruning of God.

Rather, welcome it and embrace it!

FAITH ACTION:  Think about how God is active in your life.  Have you been fighting Him on something because it involved being pruned?  Abandon yourself to Him this day and see where it takes you.