Susanne Udvari            

Pruning

“ I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”  John 15:1,2

If we want to have a healthy garden, we need to cut off dead leaves, blossoms, stems and flowers to encourage a plant to grow and be healthy.  In gardening language, deadheading means removing the faded or diseased blooms.  Trees need pruning to stay in shape, but it is a delicate process – too much could kill a plant.

God prunes in the same way.  He may remove something or somebody that is keeping us from becoming a healthy member of the body of Christ.  God has a plan for our lives and He will remove roadblocks and hindrances.

Being pruned is not always comfortable or pleasant, but unhealthy parts of our character need to be removed so that we might grow into the person God wants us to be.  Deadheading plants allows them to mature, reenergize and fulfill their purpose with greater strength the next season.  God also does some deadheading in our lives.  Some parts of our lives may not have been aligned with His will for us.

Through this process, God will not leave us – He will give us the strength and endurance to endure the pruning which will make us more fruitful in our Christian walk.

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for caring enough about my life to take the time to prune or deadhead the actions, attitudes, and plans which hinder my growth.    Thank you for loving