May 29 - Pruning

John 15:1-17 

(v2) "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” (v 16-17) “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another.” (NASB)

Growing up we had cherry and apple trees that were delivered by the mailman. My Dad was so delighted when those trees arrived and he worked hard getting them planted and spraying them every spring and into the summer months. Then we’d pick cherries, can and freeze them…and make lots of cherry pies. Those cherry trees bore an amazing amount of fruit. Likewise the apple trees bore fruit, and Dad had planted several varieties, so we had lots from which to choose. In the fall the rotten or wormy apples were fed to the pigs. Every winter it was a big job pruning those trees. Eventually the varieties that didn’t bear much fruit were chopped down and became fire wood for friends who wanted the fragrant wood for smoking meat.

Jesus was teaching us about bearing fruit in our lives in this passage from John 15. What kind of fruit do you bear? Kindness, goodness, gentleness, self control (Galatians 5:22-23). Or is it rotten fruit like bitterness, rudeness, jealousy, or selfishness? We make our choices and sometimes, like a typical three year-old, we just want to do what we want to do. In the end, that may result in the branch of our “fruit” being taken away, pruned. Jesus tells us in this passage that He chose us! That has always been an awesome thought to me. Out of the billions of people in time, He looked down from Heaven, and said, “I choose you.” My response to that is, “Wow—thanks. I accept being chosen.” There is no way that I would reject that offer. Now He expects me to “bear fruit” and I have to be pruned. Part of me is going to be cut off. Would that be the bitterness, rudeness, jealousy, or selfishness? I hope so. I never really enjoyed those traits anyway since those are such downers. So trim away, Jesus. How about you? Are you willing to be “pruned,” too?

Jesus, Thank you for choosing me to be part of your vine. Prune away at my life and show me how to be even more fruitful for You.

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.