John 15:2 – “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
Asha looked in annoyance as her mother cut off some branches from her favourite rose bush. She didn’t understand why her mother had to do that. The roses were just starting to bud and the bush did look pretty. There was no need to chop off those branches. Her pouting didn’t last long however, as her mother told her why she had to prune the rose bush.
A good gardener knows the importance of pruning. He will look for branches that are going out of control, those that don’t have any blooms or fruits yet, and he will cut them off. In today’s verse, Jesus explains how God prunes. He cuts off those branches that don’t bear fruit. And if there are branches that do bear fruit, He trims it so it can be even more fruitful.
While pruning can be a painful process, it has to be done – to increase fruitfulness and growth. Allow God’s pruning shears into your own life. He will trim your branches – your relationships, your time, your activities – so you can bear more fruit and grow in His likeness. Do not mourn what God cuts off from your life. He is doing it for your own good.
