Pruning Must Happen for New Growth

If you are a gardener you understand that most flowers have to be pruned regularly for new growth to happen. Pruning allows dead flowers to be cut away so that the new growths can erupt. Just as with flowers that need to be trimmed for more beautiful and bigger growths to happen, we need to be regularly “pruned” in our spiritual lives.

No one likes to be pruned while it’s happening, but some things in our lives need to be removed that are hindering our growth.

How to you know you are being pruned for new growth?

1. What you are doing is longer working. You keep trying to force things to work, but you are not able to make things work. (This does apply to marriage, unless it for improvement not for divorce).
2. You no longer have peace. You may have had peace before in this situation, but now the peace has been removed. This is God getting you ready for change.
3. The grace for the situation you are in has left. That means now it feels like work, and you no longer enjoy what you’re doing. You begin to dread whatever is being pruned. There is resistance here, because it is hard to let go of things that once maybe brought peace and God’s grace; however, if after a period of time (not being led by emotions and feelings), you have been in prayer and God is opening the door to release you; that may mean God is removing what may be getting in the way of what He has for you next.
4. Your flesh initially will not like the changes, and possibly you will resist them. It never feels good to surrender and let go of things that have been a part of our lives. Difficulty arises also in not wanting to let others down. Maybe God is calling you to let go of a friendship that is not good for you, or maybe God is asking you to not be involved with certain people or organizations that could hinder your walk with Him. This will not feel good to your flesh, BUT if you sense God’s supernatural peace-walk in faith and trust God!

Why is being pruned important for our spiritual growth?

1. It allows whatever maybe hindering you or holding you back from reaching your potential and purpose.
2. It will allow more peace and joy into your life. If God is pruning or removing something from your life, it is for your good.
3. Whatever was “dead” in your life that is not producing any life; must be removed so that new life can come into your life. The old has to be removed to make way for the new. If you resist this and question why God is doing this, you could very likely not move into what God has for you and may even miss a blessing.
4. It also allows us to see that God is enough, He is sufficient. If a relationship is removed, then we have the opportunity to rely completely on God.
5. A temporary decrease in your life, will eventually bring an increase in your life. Just because something is removed from your life, does not mean that space will be empty forever. Just like when you prune a plant, at first the plant looks bear, empty; but after several weeks’ tiny little buds of new growth happens.
6. God’s pruning redirects our spiritual growth. Sometimes a door is shut in an area we have been serving in, or we do not get the opportunity to serve where we would have liked to, but this can serve as purpose to redirect and refocus our energy and time in an area God knows we will be more effective.

“Every branch in me that bears not fruit he takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, he purges it…” John 15:2

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

Can you see how God may be pruning your life now? If so, in what ways? It never feels good to have things removed from our lives, but know it is for your good and for your growth. 

Jesus is the Vine, We are the Branches

John 15

15 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

Let’s take a closer look at what a vinedresser is and use that comparison to our relationship with Jesus. A vinedresser is involved with daily pruning and cultivation of grapevines. Vinedressers work nearly year-round to ensure they have a successful crop.

A vinedresser prunes. Pruning is an essential task as it removes dead, diseased, or stunted fruits to make room for new growth. Without this pruning, new growth could not take place. Much like Christ as a vinedresser, He works nearly year-round to prune off old sin habits, bad attitudes, and hindrances to our relationship with Him. When we are being pruned it usually does not feel good, and we wonder why it has to happen at all or so much. Pruning has to take place in us like with the grapevine for new growth.

A vinedresser also is a pest manger by keeping pests away from the vineyard. When we stay connected to Christ, He protects us from our enemies. When we under the shelter and protection of the Lord, we are protected from our enemies.

Vinedressers must also closely monitor the vineyard to ensure each is receiving the proper amount of water. Failure to provide sufficient water could lead to sunburn, immature vines, and pest problems. We must also receive our daily “soaking of water” in Christ’s presence through His word and being still to hear His voice.

Grapes take 5 to 6 months to harvest. Different grapes are harvested at different times, depending on their growth. Vinedressers must continually evaluate and monitor the vineyard. We must be patient as the Lord prunes us and as we wait for the harvest. After much pruning, watering, spending time in God’s presence, we will see our harvest come to pass. This harvest could be in the form of increase in joy, peace, hope, faith, renewed hope, old sin habits that have been pruned away, and attitudes that hinder us have been cut off completely.

We are the branches and the vine is Jesus, as the source and sustainer of life. The branches must abide on the vine to live and to bear fruit. A branch that is truly connected to the vine is secure and will not be removed, but the branch that appears to be connected (superficially), will be removed. Jesus is the true vinedresser, and He blesses and cares for those connected to Him. Branches belong entirely to the vine, if branches are to live they must completely depend on the vine for sustained nourishment. Many Christians fail to depend on Christ, and instead of being attached to the true vine, they are attaches to their profession, popularity, money, church and ministries.

What “vine” are you connected to?