Our cherry tree always gives us great joy in the spring.
The birds love it for the treats that Colin so faithfully puts in it daily. Following a few years without proper pruning, I noticed recently it had become very twiggy and ungainly. After it had dropped its many hundreds of leaves this year I decided to have it pruned. We now await its September display.
This pruning reminded me of something Jesus told the disciples in John 15.
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5
Living in a wine-growing area we are very familiar with the leafy vines and their heavy bunches in the summer. In the winter, however, they are pruned back to very little so that there can be fresh and fruitful new growth for the new season.
I looked up the reason we prune and it's basically for 3 reasons:
Firstly, it is to remove dead or diseased branches so that the health of the tree is preserved. Secondly, it can be to shape the tree. Thirdly, and probably most importantly, it is so that it will “bear much fruit”.
And why should we “bear much fruit” by remaining in the vine?
This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
John 15:8
The fruit that Jesus speaks about is what he expects to be found in the lives of his true followers. It is known as the fruit of the Spirit, or the characteristics that can be observed in the life of a believer. Paul lists them in Galatians 5:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Galatians 5:22-23
You may have noticed that this verse begins with a “but”. That's because it’s contrasting what godly fruit looks like as opposed to the fruit that comes from a life lived to please oneself, which he talks about in the preceding verses.
A life with Jesus requires regular pruning, as does any vine. We have seasons of fruit-bearing and seasons of rest and recuperation. These occur in different ways. Sometimes through ill health, difficult times, or sometimes because we get careless in our spiritual life and need to be reshaped.
The important thing is not to be surprised when you feel like you are being pruned. It’s a normal process so that we bear more fruit and bring glory to our Father in heaven.
Why don’t we pray:
Heavenly Father, thank you that you are a wise gardener who can be trusted to shape my life into one that is pleasing to you. Help me to yield to your pruning shears so that I can bear more fruit to your glory.
Amen.
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
We have invited these writers to share their experiences, ideas and opinions in the hope that these will provoke thought, challenge you to go deeper and inspire you to put your faith into action. These articles should not be taken as the official view of the Nelson Diocese on any particular matter.
Our cherry tree always gives us great joy in the spring.
The birds love it for the treats that Colin so faithfully puts in it daily. Following a few years without proper pruning, I noticed recently it had become very twiggy and ungainly. After it had dropped its many hundreds of leaves this year I decided to have it pruned. We now await its September display.
This pruning reminded me of something Jesus told the disciples in John 15.
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5
Living in a wine-growing area we are very familiar with the leafy vines and their heavy bunches in the summer. In the winter, however, they are pruned back to very little so that there can be fresh and fruitful new growth for the new season.
I looked up the reason we prune and it's basically for 3 reasons:
Firstly, it is to remove dead or diseased branches so that the health of the tree is preserved. Secondly, it can be to shape the tree. Thirdly, and probably most importantly, it is so that it will “bear much fruit”.
And why should we “bear much fruit” by remaining in the vine?
This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
John 15:8
The fruit that Jesus speaks about is what he expects to be found in the lives of his true followers. It is known as the fruit of the Spirit, or the characteristics that can be observed in the life of a believer. Paul lists them in Galatians 5:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Galatians 5:22-23
You may have noticed that this verse begins with a “but”. That's because it’s contrasting what godly fruit looks like as opposed to the fruit that comes from a life lived to please oneself, which he talks about in the preceding verses.
A life with Jesus requires regular pruning, as does any vine. We have seasons of fruit-bearing and seasons of rest and recuperation. These occur in different ways. Sometimes through ill health, difficult times, or sometimes because we get careless in our spiritual life and need to be reshaped.
The important thing is not to be surprised when you feel like you are being pruned. It’s a normal process so that we bear more fruit and bring glory to our Father in heaven.
Why don’t we pray:
Heavenly Father, thank you that you are a wise gardener who can be trusted to shape my life into one that is pleasing to you. Help me to yield to your pruning shears so that I can bear more fruit to your glory.
Amen.
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
