According to Jesus, pruning happens so that our joy may be complete (John 15:11). In life, we plant more seeds than will thrive. More branches grow than will do well together. God’s gift of growth includes pruning – moving us away from fear and stagnation to joy and abundance.
No need to live in fear (as I once did) that God will prune us away and into a heap to be burned if we aren’t productive enough. Though we may be asked to make some pruning decisions in our lives, we are not the Gardener. We can rest secure, rooted in God’s love, called to let go and grow. Maybe the fruit isn’t something we intentionally make, but something we’re conduits for. We get to be part of the flourishing of God’s creation. Pruning isn’t a punishment but a gift, a way to move forward. When we realize what isn’t working, it’s so much easier to focus on what is.
This message is excerpted from “Time for pruning” by Cara Strickland in the July/August 2022 Gather magazine.
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