Let God Prune Those Branches, Girl!

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 bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

- John 15:1-2

A tree in the corner of our backyard has been overtaken by a muscadine vine. I wrote about this vine in my devotional book, Dwell with Me: Growing in Our Spiritual Walk with Jesus, after trying tirelessly to separate the vine from its branch. It was a battle I was not prepared to lose but reminded me of the relationship Christ longs to have with the ones who have accepted His gift of salvation.

Over the Thanksgiving break, I was determined to prune the vine which hung down from our tree. I honestly felt sorry for the guy who mows our yard since he was probably hit in the face every time he walked past our tree. As I began the pruning process, I felt sad because this once beautiful green vine which was full of purple muscadines and red-colored dewberries now looked dismal; dead.

After tossing the dead gray branches onto the ground, I looked up and saw the most beautiful red berries. Once again, I was reminded of John chapter 15 where Jesus talks about how we as His branches can bear fruit through the process of pruning.

When we learn to stop controlling our lives and allow Christ to take on the role as the vinedresser, the Holy Spirit can help us prune away dead branches in our life. These dead branches may consist of unforgiven sin, addiction, pride, or a relationship that is drawing you further away from Christ instead of closer to Him.

I challenge you this week to think about what is standing in the way of growing in your spiritual walk with Jesus. Only you and God truly know what needs to be pruned in your life. If you are unsure, pray and ask God to show you what is standing in the way of you deepening your relationship with Him. Then, dig deep to find the root cause. For me, sin is usually conceived from envy.

Once these dead branches fall to the ground through intense prayer and Bible study, you will begin to see the goodness of God through His fruits of the Spirit - gentleness, kindness, love, peace, joy, etc. Then, you will want to share these fruits with others in this lost and dying world which is how we overcome evil. Do not allow the enemy to prevail in your life. Seek God first and let Him complete His good and perfect will in your life.

Check out my FREE Ebook - Rooted & Growing: 41 Steps to Deepen Your Relationship with Jesus