The Pruning Process

What is pruning? Pruning, removal of parts of woody plants, usually branches or branch tips, to relieve the burden on the remaining parts of the plant, to cut out diseased or broken parts, to increase the quantity and quality of flowers or fruits, to train individual parts to positions structurally favorable to the health of the plant, or to shape the plant into some artificial form.

And you know what?  Pruning hurts! But the pruning of our own vine, of us, means we can bear good fruit. And what is good fruit to us? It means our soul becomes a spiritual heirloom and not a hybrid fruit. Fruits that are hybrids loaded with genetically manufactured organisms usually have seeds that cannot bear additional fruit, or if they do, it’s a fruit of less quality.

But when Jesus works in someone’s life, that person becomes the shining vine bearing the precious spiritual fruit that lights up a darkened world, your world, regardless of where that soul may be.

Our hearts need to change. Our soul must be placed in the hands of the gardener.

We are faced with many trials and difficulties in our lives.  Mistakes, we have all made.  But when we allow Jesus to take those mistakes that are on our vine and prune them, cutting off the parts of our life that cause spiritual disease, hardness of heart; parts that keep us in the material world and away from the mercy of God, then we reconnect to the branch of Jesus and receive the grace to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

But it hurts, because pruning hurts. But it strengthens because pruning strengthens. Yes, pruning hurts, but the pruners touch is gentle.