“I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and REPEATEDLY PRUNES every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit.” (John 15:1-2 AMP).
“Better to be pruned to grow than cut up to burn.” (John Trapp).
We all really need to understand this pruning process, especially since it’s one of God’s Most Important Methods In Growing Us! In fact, some of the difficulty and loss that you’re experiencing right now May Actually Be Your Heavenly Father Cutting You Back to Help You Grow Up! And the results are going to be far greater than they ever could have been if He left what He has been taking away! In short, HE LEAVES YOU WITH LESS, SO YOU CAN BE AVAILABLE FOR MORE!
Jesus went on to explain that all the things we do for Him have to flow from our deep relationship with Him – “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man REMAINS in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; APART from Me you can do nothing…If you REMAIN in Me and My words REMAIN in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you.” If you keep loading up on Jesus and getting ever closer to Him, your life is going to be Abundantly Fruitful! You’re going to make a Greater Difference with your life than you’ve ever made before! You’re going to be More Spiritually Magnetic, and having you around is going to be more and more like actually having Jesus around! You are going to attract more people into the Fruitful Kingdom of God!
BUT before the fruit, COMES THE PRUNING!
I imagine if a vine could talk, he’d say to the pruner, “You’re killing me, man!” And the gardener would reply, “I know this hurts, but I’m actually removing things you don’t really need so you can explode with greater fruit.” THAT MAY BE EXACTLY WHAT’S HAPPENING IN YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW! IT DOESN’T FEEL GOOD, BUT IT IS GOOD! GOD IS LOVINGLY REMOVING THINGS (AND PEOPLE) YOU THINK YOU NEED, BUT THINGS (AND PEOPLE) THAT MAY BE HOLDING YOU DOWN, HOLDING YOU BACK, OR HOLDING YOU CAPTIVE! THE CUTBACKS ARE COSTLY BUT WORTH IT! THE PRUNING IS PAINFUL, BUT ESSENTIAL TO YOUR POTENTIAL, PRODUCTIVITY AND PROSPERITY!
I actually learned that there are a few types of pruning methods:
FIRST, THERE’S “THINNING”: This is a drastic form of pruning, a thinning out cut is the removal of an entire shoot, limb, or branch AT ITS POINT OF ORIGIN! When performed correctly, thinning encourages the formation of new growth that will more readily bear fruit and flowers!
NOW FOR THE SPIRITUAL APPLICATION OF “THINNING”: in order for many of us to grow properly, we have to be pruned to the extent that we remove, entirely, people, places and things that helped us get to this damaged place we’re in now! Remember: thinning removes the entire shoot, limb or branch at its origin! In other words, where it all started! Don’t be afraid or ashamed to thin some folks and some stuff out! Remove him, her or them, if they dare to compromise your potential to prosper! If you do, you’ll then be in the position to formulate (healthy people, places and things) so that new growth can transpire, more readily for bearing fruit!
SECOND, THERE’S “TOPPING”: Topping is a very severe form of pruning which involves removing all branches and growths down to a few large branches or to the trunk of the tree. When performed correctly IT IS USED ON VERY YOUNG TREES TO TRAIN THEM TO GROW INTO SPECIFIC SHAPES!
NOW FOR THE SPIRITUAL APPLICATION OF “TOPPING”: When used correctly, topping is used on young trees to train them to grow in specific shapes or in specific directions! When you see those beautiful trees, with all their unique twists and turns to them in various shapes and designs, THEY ARE THE RESULT OF TOPPING! But in order for that to take place IT HAS TO START YOUNG! Now it would be very easy for me to pick on our YOUNG PEOPLE (Which the Church Does Far Too Often), but instead we’re going to go in a different direction, and speak of “YOUNG” in terms of “immaturity!” people of God, if you’re ever going to finally grow up, and come to full maturity, you’ve got to surrender yourself to topping! It means bringing all your immature issues before the gardener for him to prune, so you can finally grow up into the specific shape and design that he had in mind long before your birth! The good news is that you can’t do this for old trees, they’re already set in their ways and hardened, so if you’re still an “immature saint”, there’s help and hope for you yet! You’re in the best possible position to be re-directed for the destiny you’ve been designed for!
THIRD, THERE’S “RAISING”: This removes the lower branches from a tree in order to provide clearance for buildings, vehicles, pedestrians, and vistas!
Now for the spiritual application of “Raising”: this type of pruning is of a necessity, not for you, but for those around you! “Raising” is a form of pruning that moves you out of the way, so others can get by and get through! I hate to say it like this, but this level of pruning is often for those who have been doing something so long that they’ve perfected it and can’t nobody else on planet earth do it like them or better than them as long as they’re still alive! You have to be pruned to make room for others! After 30 years, you shouldn’t see all the same preachers in the same pulpit; the same choir members, the same musicians, the same deacons, the same members! Moses is dead and so is Joshua…but there is a new generation! Let us not block them with our old set ways!
FOURTH AND FINAL, THERE’S “REDUCTION”: this reduces the size of a tree, often for clearance for utility lines! Reducing the height or spread of a tree is best accomplished by pruning back the leaders and branch terminals to lateral branches that are large enough to assume the terminal roles! Compared to ‘topping’, ‘reduction’ helps maintain the form and structural integrity of the tree!
Now for the spiritual application of “Reduction”: this type of pruning hurts leadership! Because reduction removes branches that are high up by the power lines, cuts them back so that room for those underneath them can assume their role! In actuality, this shouldn’t be all that hard at all, since the leader branch that is being cut back, is only making room for the lateral branch to come up and take its place!
“Every Living Thing Needs to be Pruned, So It Can Reach Its Fullest Potential – Including You and Me.” (Author Unknown)
“God Prunes Us When He is About to Take Us Into a New Season of Growth and Expansion.” (Christine Caine)
“Every Experience is Part of God’s Pruning Process. You’ve Been Picked Out to be Picked On. He Cuts Off Fruitless Branches and Prunes Fruitful Ones.” (Author Unknown)
“For Me, Slowing Down Was Simply Another Way to Prune the Bush. To Force Myself Into Cutting Away Certain Parts of My Life So That I Don’t Wake Up Next February, Blooming Roses I Don’t Like.” (Erin Loechner)
“Pruning is a Necessary Part of Life. In Order to Move Forward, You Must Let Go.” (Cheryl Richardson)
“When God Has You in a Place of Waiting, He’s Preparing You For Greater. He’s Sifting, Pruning, Refining, and Shaping You For the Best That is to Come.” (Author Unknown)
Blessings
J.P. Olson
No comments:
Post a Comment