Pruning for Greater Harvest

When we lived in Tyler, Texas, my parents moved close by and had a home on 10 acres. This land included a peach orchard of about 60 trees. My dad was so excited…then we had peaches! But he saw that many of the limbs were so heavy with peaches, they broke. He learned that you must prune the trees back so they can produce healthier and a more abundant amount of peaches.

I have had several Knockout roses in my yard, and for years, I’d enjoy some blooms but I never cut them back. I’d see my neighbors huge bushes full of blooms. Finally I decided to pinch off dead blooms and cut the bushes WAY back in non-blooming seasons. What a joy to see my bushes growing and producing abundant numbers of roses now. But it is still painful to cut them back!

Both of these real life experiences reflect how our Lord prunes the good trees (followers of Christ) of those things that hinder growth so that they produce more fruit. But, you know, it hurts to be pruned.

Recently we studied John 15 through our pastor’s sermon teaching and in our life group as well. The first thing we see in a planting is a seed that has to die to be reborn as a growing seed. As followers of Christ, that is the first thing we must to…die to ourselves and be raised up to Him and His purpose for our lives. We die, He lives in us.

Next after planting a tree, we need to fertilize. Fertilizing for spiritual growth can represent worship, prayer, Bible study, growing and serving through the local church. We begin to see growth. But, even though we are growing, God begins to prune those things in our lives that keep us from growing more…producing MORE fruit for His glory. Just about the time I think I’ve grown closer to Christlikeness in some areas of my life, God shows me many other areas where pruning needs to take place!

You know the saying, He loves and accepts us just like we are (salvation is a FREE gift), but He loves us too much to leave us there! He wants us to grow deeper and serve Him fully in our lives. That is a life-long process that continues until we end our earthly journey.

What does pruning look like? Sometimes (and for me, most often!) it’s through difficulties, trials, or disappointments. Those situations have drawn me to Him in utter dependence rather than causing me to give up and walk away from my faith in a completely faithful Lord! That is what “remaining in Him (John 15:4-5) looks like…complete total dependence. And, always, as I’ve looked back on those experiences, I wouldn’t change them because of what I’ve learned of Him…how much more I love and trust Him.

Pruning doesn’t always just take away things that hinder growth, but sometimes it removes what is just less than the best. The best part of the tree is what will bring more harvest. I have had to remove some of the healthy rose blooms so I will have the best rose blooms. The same was true for my Dad in his peach orchard.

For believers this fruit that is produced will look like:

• love for others, especially the “unlovely”
• Christlikeness in all areas of our lives
• caring about the needy and lost and taking steps to minister
• serving in and through our church into our community and the world
• praying for others
• studying His truth and letting that shower onto those around us
• teaching what God is teaching us.
• becoming a disciplemaker so others grow

That’s the kind of fruit we will bear…for His glory. Don’t you want to produce abundant fruit like this photo represents?

Remember, the opposite of abiding looks very different. Picture a branch not attached to the tree or the vine (John 15:6). We are told it withers, becomes useless, cannot bear fruit. Our fruit (what others see of us ) indicates what is in our heart. Pray for a heart that abides in Christ and bears His fruit for His glory.

So, take a look at your life…make a list of the fruit you are producing. Then ask God what is hindering an even greater harvest of your faith. Be willing to follow whatever He tells you. Allow the pruning that will bring greater growth.

Banner photo by Ian Baldwin on Unsplash