BEEN PRUNED ???

Pruning is a horticulture practice involving cutting of the dead wood and cutting back the living branches, both to shape the tree, stimulate growth and to increase the yield or quality of  fruits or flowers. The life stuffs needs to go too – branches, leaves, and flowers.

God applies the same technique on his children too to make them yield better. When God prunes us, He not only cuts off the sinful and the superficial, the deadwood in our lives but also cuts off stuff that is alive and successful - A satisfying relationship, a business that is going great, good health etc., some of them may get whacked off for greater fruitfulness. It is not just the deadwood that goes. God does often cuts back good things too, in order to make us healthier.

It is not always pleasant, but pruning is absolutely essential for spiritual growth.

Being a child of God, you are going to be pruned. You may be going through pruning right now, and it may not all be deadwood. God cuts off branches that we feel are productive.

This can be confusing. We believe that we are fruitful and are puzzled, even frustrated by God’s pruning. We ask, “Why are you doing this God? I have given my business to you, but it’s failing. I have committed my health to you, but I’m going to hospitals. I have been tithing, yet I’m going bankrupt.”

We may even ask God, “Don’t you love me? Don’t you care? Don’t you see what’s going on?  Isn’t that what we say to God when He prunes us? But this is where we are making the biggest mistake of our life. We confuse pruning with punishment.

I would like to remind you friend here that pruning is not punishment. Do not equate the two. God is not angry with you. He just sees that you are someone with a potential for greatness, someone He wants to use in a significant way. He wants you to be fruitful as you possibly can be, so He prunes you back. God has a better idea for you. He sees what you do not see.

God uses problems, pressures, and people around to prune us. God can use every situation in your life to help you grow if you will just have the right attitude. He can use it all – a major disappointment, a financial reversal, a sudden illness, a broken marriage, a rebellious child, separation from a loved one, and even the problems you bring on yourself. God will and He does use them all as part of the pruning process to make your more fruitful.

Like discipline pruning is unpleasant. Have you ever looked at a pruned tree or a pruned plant? It is ugly, shameful and hideous. Pruning is never fun, and it is not pretty, but it is for your future benefit. The purpose for pruning is positive. God does not punish His true children. Your punishment was taken care of on the cross. God’s pruning is for your very best, for greater fruitfulness in your life.

Can God’s pruning fail to produce? Sure it can, if we don’t cooperate. If we resist, rebel, complain, or become resentful, our character will not develop the way God intends it to.

What is God’s pruning all about? God wants to produce the nine specific character qualities in your life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

God produces these qualities by allowing you to encounter situations and people full of exactly the opposite qualities. He teaches you love by putting you around unlovely people. He teaches you joy in the midst of sorrow. He teaches you peace by allowing irritations all around you. He teaches you patience by allowing things to frustrate you.

Dear friend, God uses all of those things to make you yield better fruits. You may be tempted during the pruning season to quit, taking matters into your own hands, to try to bear your own fruit. But the key to fruitfulness wasn’t trying harder, but abiding faithfully.

Are you willing to undergo His pruning? The only way you can express the willingness is by praising God in every circumstance!

If you are really blessed by this messgae, plz feel free to share with others!