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Welcome the Pruning Shearsby Rick Warren
If you are going to be fruitful, you must cooperate with God’s pruning in your life. In John 15:1–2, Jesus says, “I am the true Vine, and my Father is the Gardener. He lops off every branch that doesn’t produce. And he prunes those branches that bear fruit for even larger crops” (LB). Pruning involves cutting off the dead branches and cutting back the living branches, both to shape the tree or vine and to stimulate growth.
I have a neighbor who is an expert rose grower. His front and back yards are beautiful, so I invited him to come over to my back yard and work his magic on my roses. He was a wonder to watch. He brought his loppers to do his pruning, and he was ruthless. It hurt me just to watch him cut back my rosebushes. Whack, whack, whack! By the time he was finished, my rosebushes were only little stubs. Professional pruners will tell you that most people are too timid when it comes to pruning. I used to think that pruning was going in and gently cutting off the little dead pieces. Not so. The live stuff needs to go too—branches, leaves, and flowers. Evidently my neighbor knew what he was doing, because my roses have never bloomed so beautifully.
Here is my point: most of us think that when God prunes us, he cuts off the sinful and the superficial, the deadwood in our lives. He does do that, but he also cuts off stuff that is alive and successful: a business that is going great, a satisfying relationship, good health. Some of that may get whacked off for greater fruitfulness. It is not just deadwood that goes. God often cuts back good things too, in order to make us healthier. It is not always pleasant, but pruning is absolutely essential for spiritual growth. It is not optional. Remember, God is glorified when we bear “much fruit” (John 15:8), and that requires pruning. We must remember that the loppers are in the hands of our loving God. He knows what he is doing, and he wants what is best for us.
If you are a Christian, you are going to be pruned. Count on it. You may be going through pruning right now, and it may not all be deadwood. God cuts off branches that we feel are productive so that more fruit may be produced. This can be confusing. We believe that we are being fruitful and are puzzled, even frustrated, by God’s pruning. We ask, “Why are you doing this, God? I have given my business to you, but it’s failing. I have committed my health to you, but I’m going into the hospital next week. I have been tithing faithfully, yet I’m going bankrupt.”
I watched an educational TV program on houseplants in which the specialist suggested that viewers talk to their plants to help them grow. He explained that soothing, stroking, and talking to your Creeping Charlie will build the plant’s self-esteem. Imagine yourself saying, “You’re a good plant. My, you’re looking good today! You look marvelous.” Now imagine yourself talking to a plant you are pruning: “This hurts me more than it hurts you.” Whack! “You’ll thank me for this later!” Whack! “It’s for your own good!” I can imagine the plant talking back, “You have no heart. You don’t love me. I’ve worked long and hard to produce those roses you just cut off.”
Isn’t that what we say to God when he prunes us? “Don’t you love me? Don’t you care? Don’t you see what’s going on?” And we think God is angry with us. No, he’s not angry. One of the biggest mistakes Christians make is confusing pruning with punishment. Pruning is not punishment, so don’t equate the two. God is not angry with you. He just sees that you are someone who can bear more fruit, someone who has potential for greatness, someone he wants to use in a significant way. He wants you to be as fruitful as you possibly can be, so he prunes you back, even lopping off some of the things he has been blessing in your life. You lost your job? Don’t worry. God has a better idea. He sees what you do not see.
How does God prune us? He uses problems, pressures, and people. Oh, does he use people! People will criticize and challenge you. They will question and doubt you. They will challenge your motives. God is using them to prune you. As I have said throughout this book, God can use every situation in your life to help you grow if you will just have the right attitude. He can use it all—the problems you bring on yourself, a major disappointment, a financial reversal, a sudden illness, a broken marriage, a rebellious child, the death of a loved one. He will and he does use them all as part of the pruning process to make you even more fruitful.
Why does God do this to us? Look at Hebrews 12:11: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.” We can all agree with that. It is not pleasant when you are being disciplined. The writer of Hebrews continues, “Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” God does this for our own benefit as well as for his glory.
Like discipline, pruning is unpleasant. Have you ever looked at a pruned tree or a pruned plant? It is ugly. A few years ago I had twelve sixty-foot eucalyptus trees in my front yard. I had a man come out and top them. He “topped” them all right—he left no branches! I ended up with twelve “totem poles” standing in my front yard. Some of my neighbors joked that a UFO had dropped these giant toothpicks. I think some of them thought I was starting some kind of Stonehenge cult. Those trees were ugly. But do you know what? After that pruning, the trees came back with greater fullness than ever before. Now my problem is raking up all the leaves!
My wife went through a time of severe pruning several years ago. She was ill, had a tough pregnancy, and was bedridden for months. It was a very tough time for our family. God cut back every activity in Kay’s life. I mean everything—leading women’s ministry, teaching Bible studies, all the things she loved and looked forward to doing. Even at home everything was chopped off; she couldn’t get out of bed to do anything. We talked about it a lot because it didn’t make sense at the time. Our church was growing rapidly, and I needed Kay’s help. Nevertheless, it was a valuable pruning time. Kay learned a lot, because when you are flat on your back, all you can do is look up. Her fruitfulness in the years since has been astounding. God has opened up new ministries and opportunities for her that we never imagined. The results of that pruning in her life are exciting, but it wasn’t fun going through it.
Pruning is never fun, and it is not pretty, but it is for your future benefit. The purpose of pruning is positive. God is not mad at you. The Bible says that there is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). God does not “punish” his true children. Your punishment was taken care of on the cross. God’s pruning is for your very best, for greater fruitfulness in your life.
From God’s Power to Change Your Life by Rick Warren
I have a neighbor who is an expert rose grower. His front and back yards are beautiful, so I invited him to come over to my back yard and work his magic on my roses. He was a wonder to watch. He brought his loppers to do his pruning, and he was ruthless. It hurt me just to watch him cut back my rosebushes. Whack, whack, whack! By the time he was finished, my rosebushes were only little stubs. Professional pruners will tell you that most people are too timid when it comes to pruning. I used to think that pruning was going in and gently cutting off the little dead pieces. Not so. The live stuff needs to go too—branches, leaves, and flowers. Evidently my neighbor knew what he was doing, because my roses have never bloomed so beautifully.
Here is my point: most of us think that when God prunes us, he cuts off the sinful and the superficial, the deadwood in our lives. He does do that, but he also cuts off stuff that is alive and successful: a business that is going great, a satisfying relationship, good health. Some of that may get whacked off for greater fruitfulness. It is not just deadwood that goes. God often cuts back good things too, in order to make us healthier. It is not always pleasant, but pruning is absolutely essential for spiritual growth. It is not optional. Remember, God is glorified when we bear “much fruit” (John 15:8), and that requires pruning. We must remember that the loppers are in the hands of our loving God. He knows what he is doing, and he wants what is best for us.
If you are a Christian, you are going to be pruned. Count on it. You may be going through pruning right now, and it may not all be deadwood. God cuts off branches that we feel are productive so that more fruit may be produced. This can be confusing. We believe that we are being fruitful and are puzzled, even frustrated, by God’s pruning. We ask, “Why are you doing this, God? I have given my business to you, but it’s failing. I have committed my health to you, but I’m going into the hospital next week. I have been tithing faithfully, yet I’m going bankrupt.”
I watched an educational TV program on houseplants in which the specialist suggested that viewers talk to their plants to help them grow. He explained that soothing, stroking, and talking to your Creeping Charlie will build the plant’s self-esteem. Imagine yourself saying, “You’re a good plant. My, you’re looking good today! You look marvelous.” Now imagine yourself talking to a plant you are pruning: “This hurts me more than it hurts you.” Whack! “You’ll thank me for this later!” Whack! “It’s for your own good!” I can imagine the plant talking back, “You have no heart. You don’t love me. I’ve worked long and hard to produce those roses you just cut off.”
Isn’t that what we say to God when he prunes us? “Don’t you love me? Don’t you care? Don’t you see what’s going on?” And we think God is angry with us. No, he’s not angry. One of the biggest mistakes Christians make is confusing pruning with punishment. Pruning is not punishment, so don’t equate the two. God is not angry with you. He just sees that you are someone who can bear more fruit, someone who has potential for greatness, someone he wants to use in a significant way. He wants you to be as fruitful as you possibly can be, so he prunes you back, even lopping off some of the things he has been blessing in your life. You lost your job? Don’t worry. God has a better idea. He sees what you do not see.
How does God prune us? He uses problems, pressures, and people. Oh, does he use people! People will criticize and challenge you. They will question and doubt you. They will challenge your motives. God is using them to prune you. As I have said throughout this book, God can use every situation in your life to help you grow if you will just have the right attitude. He can use it all—the problems you bring on yourself, a major disappointment, a financial reversal, a sudden illness, a broken marriage, a rebellious child, the death of a loved one. He will and he does use them all as part of the pruning process to make you even more fruitful.
Why does God do this to us? Look at Hebrews 12:11: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.” We can all agree with that. It is not pleasant when you are being disciplined. The writer of Hebrews continues, “Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” God does this for our own benefit as well as for his glory.
Like discipline, pruning is unpleasant. Have you ever looked at a pruned tree or a pruned plant? It is ugly. A few years ago I had twelve sixty-foot eucalyptus trees in my front yard. I had a man come out and top them. He “topped” them all right—he left no branches! I ended up with twelve “totem poles” standing in my front yard. Some of my neighbors joked that a UFO had dropped these giant toothpicks. I think some of them thought I was starting some kind of Stonehenge cult. Those trees were ugly. But do you know what? After that pruning, the trees came back with greater fullness than ever before. Now my problem is raking up all the leaves!
My wife went through a time of severe pruning several years ago. She was ill, had a tough pregnancy, and was bedridden for months. It was a very tough time for our family. God cut back every activity in Kay’s life. I mean everything—leading women’s ministry, teaching Bible studies, all the things she loved and looked forward to doing. Even at home everything was chopped off; she couldn’t get out of bed to do anything. We talked about it a lot because it didn’t make sense at the time. Our church was growing rapidly, and I needed Kay’s help. Nevertheless, it was a valuable pruning time. Kay learned a lot, because when you are flat on your back, all you can do is look up. Her fruitfulness in the years since has been astounding. God has opened up new ministries and opportunities for her that we never imagined. The results of that pruning in her life are exciting, but it wasn’t fun going through it.
Pruning is never fun, and it is not pretty, but it is for your future benefit. The purpose of pruning is positive. God is not mad at you. The Bible says that there is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). God does not “punish” his true children. Your punishment was taken care of on the cross. God’s pruning is for your very best, for greater fruitfulness in your life.
From God’s Power to Change Your Life by Rick Warren
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