Pruned, Not Punished

I left church today with my page covered in notes...words circled, thoughts squeezed into the margins, and arrows pointing everywhere. Have you ever heard a message that felt like God was speaking directly to you? That was this one for me.

Our pastor was teaching from John 15, where Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.”  Like Pastor Tim said, the branches that are bearing fruit are the ones God prunes so they can bear even more.

That really stayed with me.

Pruning involves cutting something back. From the branch’s perspective, it probably feels painful and unnecessary. But the gardener sees what the branch cannot see. He knows what needs to be removed so healthier growth can come.

As our pastor said, God’s pruning is not meant to harm us. It is meant to help us bear more fruit.

Over the past year, I have felt God revealing patterns, fears, habits, and ways of coping that I could not always see before. Some of those realizations have been freeing. Others have been painful and humbling. There have been many times when I wanted God to simply remove the discomfort, but instead, I have sensed Him asking me to stay close and not escape the work He is doing.

That may be the hardest part.

When something hurts, my instinct is to fix it, manage it, stay busy, or find a way around it. But as our pastor said, when it feels really bad, and you are being pruned, stay close to the Lord. Do not escape from the work.

Jesus does not tell the branches to try harder to produce fruit. He tells them to remain connected to the Vine. That word remain may have been the most important thing I heard all morning.

• Remain when I do not understand.

• Remain when I feel uncertain.

• Remain when I want to control the outcome.

• Remain when old patterns feel easier than new growth.

I am learning that abiding is not just spending time with God in the morning. It is returning to Him throughout the day. It is whispering a prayer in the car, pausing before I react, opening Scripture when my thoughts begin to spiral, and simply saying, “Jesus, I need You.”

As our pastor said, life change is possible. Not because we become stronger or finally figure everything out, but because we stay connected to the One who changes us.

I do not know what pruning may feel like in your life right now. Maybe something familiar is changing. Maybe God is revealing a pattern you would rather not see. Maybe you have been asking Him to make the discomfort go away.

I understand that prayer.

But perhaps we can also ask:

“Lord, what are You growing in me through this?”

I am still learning to trust the Gardener. I do not understand every cut, and I do not always like the process. But I am beginning to believe that He is not punishing me.

He is shaping me.

And my job is to stay connected to the Vine.

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you.”— John 15:4

If you are intrigued or may have a hard time following me in my babble...take some time to watch this! It is so impactful! https://www.youtube.com/live/jj04jRxnBjE?si=_-oIBrPU94pWi2j4

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