We Must Permit Our Caretaker to Prune Us

1/22/2003

“The Fruit of the Spirit,” by T.T & W.G.

Jesus said, “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” (Jn. 15:1-2).

Whether we understand it or not or like it or not, we need to be pruned—sometimes radically.

...The cause and effect of pruning in dormancy or during the growing season is complex. You may not understand all the vocabulary used here, but just listen to the complexity and structure that is required in pruning:

*Dormant pruning usually causes vigor in a fruit tree.

*Summer pruning can reduce vigor in a fruit tree.

*Summer pruning before mid-June affects fruit spur development for the next growing season.

*Summer pruning at the right time will enhance the color of the fruit. If pruning is done at the wrong time or too much pruning is done, it will produce sunburn.

*If the farmer doesn’t know which limbs have fruit spurs for next year’s crop, the inexperienced cutting may reduce the crop for up to two to three years. Pears produce the best fruit on two—to three-year old wood that is young. Peaches and most soft fruit grow on one year wood.

*The farmer needs to know how to cut the limbs with no fruit spurs so that the fruit spurs develop.

*During the first four or five years of a tree’s life, training is critical. Structure limbs are trained or bent at correct angles. If the limb is too flat, it will lose vigor, thus reducing the needed growth and causing the limb to overfruit. If the branch is left too upright, the tree will remain juvenile and will not develop fruit spurs. In many new orchards, trellis systems are used to train and support dwarf trees.

Wow! And that’s not even a quarter of what goes into getting a fruit tree to produce and be “fruitful”!!!! Think about all the training and development, and pruning for a human!!!! Aren’t you glad you have the person who created the heavens and the earth in control of your feeding and pruning? : )

As Christians we are the branches that need to be pruned. Why? To produce more of the Spirit’s fruit.

By the way, have you wondered about the branches that are cut off? Fruit farmers call those branches “sucker limbs.” They are called that because they suck moisture and nutrients from the tree and give nothing in return. The suckers also produce shade so the sun cannot get to the center of the tree. Since the sun affects how fast the fruit grows and gives it its color, too much shade can have a negative effect on the fruit.

Concerning some people being like useless branches, William Barclay wrote:

Some of [Jesus’ followers] are lovely fruit-bearing branches of Himself; others are useless because they bear no fruit. Who was Jesus thinking of when He spoke of the fruitless branches? There are two answers. First He was thinking of the Jews. They were branches of God’s vine. Was not that the picture that prophet after prophet had drawn? But they refused to listen to Him; they refused to accept Him; therefore they were withered and useless branches. Second, He was thinking of something more general. He was thinking of Christians whose Christianity consisted of profession without practice, words without deeds. He was thinking of Christians who were useless branches, all leaves and no fruit. And He was thinking of Christians who became apostates, who heard the message and accepted it and then fell away, becoming traitors to the Master they had once pledged themselves to serve.

Where do you need to be pruned? Have you found a place of rest and trust as God lovingly deals with you in areas that need to be trimmed? Since every Christian needs to be pruned periodically, it is important that we have the right attitude towards God’s discipline.

In the Olympic Games, winning and losing largely depends on how well the athletes have disciplined themselves. This “One Thing I do....”

“Success is found in much smaller portions than most people realize. A hundredth of a second here and sometimes a tenth there can determine the fastest man in the world. At times we live our lives on a paper-thin edge that barely separates greatness from mediocrity and success from failure. Life is often compared to a marathon, but I think it is more like being a sprinter: long stretches of hard work punctuated by brief moments in which we are given the opportunity to perform at our best.” (Michael Johnson, world record holder of the 200 and 400 meter dash).

A Christian’s life is something like being a sprinter. We seem to go for weeks without any tension or unusual stress. Then one day, it not only rains—it pours. Because of our training and discipline, we react in a kingdom way, demonstrating patience and self-control. The sudden difficulty does not throw us off course, because we have been disciplined and trained by the master. We have allowed Him to do His work of pruning off what is destructive, unhealthy, and unproductive. Therefore, we are ready for the challenge and will sprint with excellence. Times of discipline, trials, and difficulty can be the most important times of our lives because they build character.

“We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Rom.5:3-4).

Bad times can be our dearest friends, because through these times we can become more focused on who we are in Christ and develop godly behaviors and attitudes that will prepare us for eternity. So when you see the pruning shears coming, remind yourself of where it will lead and that you are in VERY capable hands. : )

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jer.17:7-8).