When a gardener plants something, he will also take care of it. That may involve some clipping and trimming. God the Father, our spiritual gardener, does just that for us. He now prunes us so that we stay connected to the Vine, our source of strength. He looks for results. God expects a response of faith and gratitude from us. This is the fruit we bear; everything we do as believers in faith and love for Him.
In order for such fruit to grow, some pruning has to be done. Sometimes it can be a bit painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. By pruning away the bad branches, God is simply making more room for the much more beneficial fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23, KJV). These are the kinds of fruit we are capable of producing once we have been properly pruned.
Jesus is that vine that gives us life and makes it possible for us to bear fruit. However, if we become disconnected from Him, we are no better off than dead twigs lying at the base of a tree. Without our connection to Christ, we are useless. Without our connection to the Vine, we have no life in us.
Our connection to Christ causes His will to become our will, leading us to seek the things that are important in life.We will learn to pray for things that are spiritually beneficial to us. We will develop godly priorities. And we will learn that our prayers will be answered by a God who knows what is best for us. Then our connection will be strengthened all the more and we will bear even more godly fruit.
Written by Evangelist Bernice Harley