Reading John chapter 15, I winced as I thought of how God prunes things out of my life. Yet I know God only takes away things that I do not need, even things I call “good.” Let’s look at how God can take away things we want or think we need, yet God is not stingy or cruel. Remember, God is always good, even when he takes away things (and people) from us.
We can trust God without fully understanding him, even as Isaiah says in 45:15 “Truly, O God of Israel, our savior, you work in mysterious ways.” And God really intends the best for us without deceiving us as Titus 1: 2 confirms, “This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began.” So we can trust God when he promises us good things (especially eternal life,) even when God may take away things we want so badly.
John 15:2a says “He cuts off every branch in me that doesn’t produce fruit,” and this verse should scare some people. Pastors differ on their opinion, but most agree, the “branches in me” refer to the fakers who attend church but have never surrendered their hearts to Christ. These people still love evil and not God. Unless they repent, they will go to Hell. We don’t doubt that interpretation, because Jesus says in verse 6, “Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.” This clearly refers to eternal damnation in the fires of Hell.
But rest of verse 2b says, “…and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.” We don’t have to doubt if these branches represent those who have surrendered their hearts to Christ, because Jesus affirms in verse 3, “You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.” Jesus also reassures us in verse 8, “When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.”
Please don’t take verse 8 as a threat or as a place for you to harshly compare your abilities with the fruit others bear. Jesus knows our abilities and limits. I have spoken of this in my prior posts. God knows our abilities differ, even as Jesus says in Luke 8:15b “But the ones who received the seed on good soil are like those who hear the word and accept it and produce a crop—thirty, sixty, or a hundred times what was sown.” We may see an evangelist, like Greg Laurie, who leads the Harvest Crusades and think we cannot draw that many people to Christ. Perhaps Greg is a “one hundred times” producer in the fruit of his faith. Perhaps we feel we are “only” a “thirty times” producer of fruits of good works for the Lord. God is still pleased when we bear as much fruit as we are able to do. God knows the gifts he gives each of us. In 1 Cor. 12:8-11, we see different spiritual gifts God gives believers. We are not guilty if we did not receive certain ones, because verse 11 says, “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.”
So as we look at what God prunes, we can feel assured that, when we truly love the Lord, the pruning verses only speak of God taking away things we do not need (and so we need not fear we are not saved or fear our works are not good enough.) I wanted to share some ways God has pruned things in my life, even things I really liked and wanted.
I can surmise all grown ups know that as we leave our college years, we must work full time and have less time for leisure activities. Yet even as a single (childless) full-time worker, I still had quite a bit of time for many leisure activities, from camping and hiking and swimming, to gardening and soap making, to arts and crafts, to hosting friends for meals at my house, to Christian dances to long walks with fun gal-pals and more. I had time to visit nursing homes and volunteer at church and baby sit friends’ children and also help several moms with their troubled teens. Once I married, I lost quite a bit of my free time, as I began to serve my husband. I actually went overboard with that and limited seeing many of my friends and family until I found a better balance in my personal life. Eventually I resumed seeing some friends and also resumed doing some of my crafts and other leisure activities.
But the biggest time-taker in my life was having children. Yet with the loss of more free time, I also had the enormous joy of raising my twin daughters, Amy and Lindsey. So even as I lost so much free time, I had the amazing joy of laughing with these loving girls, receiving their hugs and hand-drawn pictures. And I did not lose all of my free time. There were still moments when I could do some crafts, though often they were modified so my girls could participate.
I actually feared becoming a mom when I thought of losing so much free time for myself. I had even looked into the YMCA, since they take a baby as young as 6 weeks old in the daycare. I had been sure I would want to go right back to working out as soon as I could. But when my girls were born, this “pruning” of my time was a surprising joy. I adored my girls and could not imagine leaving them behind. As soon as I overcame the pain of the unplanned, emergency C-Section, I piled the girls in the stroller and went on very, very long walks with them, talking to them and looking at them as I walked along. I never missed the gym, and only went back to swimming one day per week when the girls were about two years old. I realized I could still exercise, and I learned how to do so at home, so I could save the time and money I used going to a gym. I may be stronger now than I was when I went to the gym (or I am so happy I don’t notice the difference.)
I had never planned to home school my daughters and had even noticed a preschool near my home. But once my girls were born, I had no intention of putting them in preschool, and I bought the simple supplies I needed and taught them myself. A friend had warned me California was changing for the worse, and she urged me to consider home schooling my girls beyond preschool. I am so glad I took her advice, because California has developed so many unjust ideas that are presented as truth in the public schools.
I know the season of having my daughters home is limited. When they go to college, I will not need to search deals to buy two sets of curriculum at the lowest price, and once I have it, create a detailed schedule. I will not need to present the material to my girls (and refresh my memory when I have forgotten some of the material) nor need to re-explain work and correct it. I will have more free time to do things I have not had time to do before. Yet I will miss the long talks with my girls, even the hard work, because of those talks, smiles and laughter.
I also give up time to volunteer at my church (for VBS and for our Sunday School, called Kidzkrew.) But when I do this, I also have the joy of being with the cute children and knowing I am investing in their lives for eternity. I have had to prune away time for the other activities I enjoyed so I could volunteer. Really, in all areas of my life, when I do something to serve others, I have to give up some time I could have spent on myself, even good activities. But I know that when I am willing to give up the “good” things, I have time for what God calls me to do. I am trusting God has good things for me, even as he says in Matt. 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The time I spend helping others is a gift I give to them but also to God. And God is faithful. He will reward the “sacrifices” I make.
Plus, I know that when I die and go to heaven, I can do any of the other things I did not finish. Heaven is not a dull place of clouds and harps, but a place where I can continue all the good tasks I did not finish here (painting, sewing, gardening, having adventures, etc.) So I have faith that when God prunes some good things from my life, he leaves the best. And in heaven, there will be no more pruning, so I get to enjoy all the exciting, artistic, and yummy things that will be there, without any more pruning away!
I pray you enjoyed this simple post. Please share stories from your own life, when God has pruned things, yet you have still found joy. May the Lord bless your week!