Romancing The Rock

“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.You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:1-4

While I have read this Scripture many times before — it is one of my favourites — it hadn’t occurred to me that no matter which way you live, you still receive attention from the pruning saw. However, only one of these forms of attention is worth enduring.

If we waste our time, live for ourselves, take no note of His will for us — in other words walk in disobedience — and therefore be ineffective and fruitless, of what use are we? The same as a tree with dried up branches that doesn’t bear fruit or even shady leaves. It is only good for firewood. Ouch!

On the other hand if we use our time wisely, following the Word of the Lord and living our best in Him and therefore producing fruit in our lives, God then prunes us in order that we increase in that fruit.

The fruit might be growth within our own lives, or seeing other people saved, or even helping others grow in their faith. But He prunes us, cuts back the offshoots so that we become stronger and can carry more responsibility. It’s a scary thought really, and it can be painful to go through these seasons of pruning, but in the end when we look back, we often find ourselves surprised at where God has taken us — beyond our dreams in many cases.

So, then, even if it is a painful process, I think I would rather be pruned for the furtherance of His kingdom than to be thrown in the fire. How about you?