Fruit-Bearing: Pruning

Published by christi on October 11, 2018October 11, 2018

I have been under the pruning shears for my whole life, but the last year and a half have been pretty severe. This morning I have a little more insight into what Jesus was saying when He said the Father prunes every branch that bears fruit so that it may bear more fruit. I understand that part when it’s good fruit. Grapevines that make good grapes, you gotta want them to make more, so you prune it back to the right number of buds, inspect and guard it against skeletonizers (Yes, those are a thing.) and mulch and water it.

But what if the fruit has become is sour or the wrong color? What if it is infested with bugs that puncture it and leave it to grow mold? What then? Yes. Pruning…a different kind. Rescue pruning. The things He removes die. They are reduced to kindling for our fire pit; they must not even become compost, lest the creepy-crawlies or disease live on.

Jesus says we are identified by the fruit we produce. The Father’s pruning doesn’t mean we have suddenly become thistles or brambles, just that the way we are growing is at odds with His dreams for us. Maybe there’s a branch that’s growing too far down the vine that threatens the strength or structure. Perhaps there is another branch that needs the space to grow. And maybe our fruit has become infested. We can’t see all this. We only see our little corner. We must trust the Heavenly Gardener to do His work in us. He prunes us so we can bear more fruit. He always knows what He’s doing, and why. He alone sees the whole Vine and all the branches across the eons of time. It is for His glory that we bear fruit that lasts.

Our job is to keep holding on, keep sticking close to Jesus where the life is.