On Being Pruned

I find it interesting that those of us who bear fruit are routinely pruned so that we may bear more fruit. Pruning is part of the process of health — the dictionary says that pruning is useful to remove unnecessary growth. The idea is that extra growth is removed in order to make room for healthier growth.

This metaphor really does work for us spiritually. Having some fruit is not enough — we are constantly being pruned to bear more fruit. If the fruit being talked about here is the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22 — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control), then this simply means that our lives are bearing Christ-like qualities. The more Christ-like we become, the more God prunes us, which allows us to be even more Christ-like. It is a lifestyle – a cycle – of becoming more like Christ.

Is there a way for us to initiate this or speed it up? It seems that this fruit is a natural outcome of growth. The more we focus on staying connected to Jesus and growing spiritually, the more we can expect to see this fruit. And having this fruit, according to this passage, leads to pruning which leads to more fruit. So let’s focus more on Christ and becoming like Him; let’s be passionate about serving others, giving generously, reading His Word, and learning more about God.