Pruning as a Path Forward

Watching all the things we own be sold off, given away, trashed, or put into a POD is a good reminder that the most import things in life aren’t things. I recall a line from the Vineyard Cincinnati Worship album, “Do I have what I have or does it have me?” That is a good question that helps to frame what a fruitful life on the vine looks like.

No matter what, growth is going to happen. The question becomes what kind of growth? Weeds spring up with as much regularity as flowers and grass.

Yes, there are things we can and should do to prepare the soil for growth: fertilize, plant, and water. But, many times what is needed is not more but less. We need to remove things: pull weeds, trim branches, remove the overgrowth so that it does not choke out the life of the things we really care about.

God prunes! He cuts us back to produce greater fruitfulness. He wants to literally push His life (the vine) into us (the branches) and out through us (the fruit). But He knows if the flow of His life in and through us is going to increase, we must decrease. It is either foliage or fruit. We can look good ourselves or taste good for others!

May we all embrace the pruning and trust God is not punishing but purifying us for greater fruitfulness! Who knows, we may find what we are looking for is already right here under all our stuff.