The Pruning Process

Prune: to cut away.

To reduce the extent of something by removing unwanted parts.

In the natural realm, pruning takes place in gardening and gardeners cut off the branches of trees to make them bear better fruit or grow higher. It is also done for maintenance, to make it have a better appearance. In a past tense state, we use the word pruned and it means to be cleared unsuitable or superfluous. This same process takes place for us as we grow In Christ, when we accept salvation we are baby Christians or spiritually immature, but when we ask God to prune us and uproot those old habits or nasty characteristics we can be truly used by him. In John 15:1-8 it states “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” This verse provides a physical representation of pruning. We are the branches or vine, and God is the gardener. How can we say we are a Christian and fruitless? You may be saying what do you mean? I am talking about the fruits of the spirits. In Galatians 5:22-23 it states, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

I am also reminded of the parable of the Barren Fig Tree, in this parable Jesus cut the fig tree off because he said it was deceiving, hence it was fruitless. I wonder how many of us are just like the fig tree? We aren’t bearing any fruits. In Luke 13:6-9, it states “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. In verse 7, he demanded that the fig tree be cut down because it was using up the soil and not bearing any fruit! The process of pruning can be both physical and spiritual. It can be brutal and frustrating and you may be even considering throwing in the towel, but God is with finished you yet. In the end, the process is worth it because God is fixing us and cleaning up every single part of us, so we can be more like him.

Many times, I hear people saying. I can’t go back to God after how far I’ve gone, and are in total shock of how much love he has for them – an unconditional, unfailing, amount by the way. Anyways, GOD chose you and isn’t going to give up on you because of your flaws and shortcomings. John 15:16 tells us that we are chosen. It reads “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that WHATEVER you ask in my name the Father will give you.”

1.      God prunes you.

We need the help of the Father and this process looks different for everybody. In the natural, a gardener must use the right tools, whether it is using his/her bare hands or a chain saw. You see those weeds and old stuff must be uprooted so the new things can grow! Isaiah 18:5 reads “For, before the harvest, when he blossoms is gone and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he will cut off the shoots with pruning knives, and cut down and take away the spreading branches.”

2.      Pruning will perfect us in Christ.

Pruning must be done at the proper time, not too early or too late. If a gardener, does either one at the wrong time they can hang up the quality of their product whether it is fruit or vegetables. In my heart, that goes for us too! God prunes us just at the right time. He wouldn’t be able to prune us properly, if we aren’t ready. Pruning brings forth the result of a greater quality. The story of Esther sheds light on pruning. She was groomed to be Queen and god equipped her by pruning her. (See Esther 4:12-14)

3.      Get READY to leave it all behind!

For the pruning process to be carried out. You must be willing to leave the former things behind such as your old habits, ways, personality, and character traits. I am a firm believer that it is never to leave it all behind. As Christians, we leave our old sinful life behind, it is the same with pruning. I love this next verse and quote it often. It depicts leaving the past behind and walking in newness. It reads “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up: do you not perceive it? I am making a WAY in the wilderness and streams in the wilderness.” (Isaiah 43:18-20). See, for God to do a new thing in your heart you have to be willing and ready.

Lastly, God prunes us, and it does not feel good but it is working for our GOOD! God is after your heart, not your emotions. Now I’m not saying that he completely disregards how our emotions, but he wants us to be made anew and he can only do that through pruning.

Tell the Devil the BET IS STILL ON!

God has not forgotten about you.

XO,

Nikia A. Handy