Living a Productive Life, Part 2
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
John 15:1-2 (NIV)
The most important process that produces the greatest productivity in the vineyard is pruning. If you were a branch, and you could speak, you would find this painful. You would be tempted to complain and become disillusioned, questioning the wisdom of the gardener in cutting away some of your branches, wondering how can less produce more? It seems so counterintuitive. The process of pruning is critical for the productivity of the vineyard. It takes two to three years to train a pruner, so he doesn’t damage the vine.
Our problem is that we pray for productivity in our lives, but we don’t want the pruning. It’s one thing for God to prune the bad things out of our lives, but God goes a step further and begins to prune some of the good things as well. Why? Because God wants to produce the best fruit possible in our lives. He must prune the good in order to produce His best! Pruning can mean loss and pain but don’t lose heart or complain. God is preparing you for the most fruitful season of your life when He prunes you.
In that pruning process, you have a choice. You can start complaining, or you can stay connected and trust God that He knows what He is doing. You lose connection when you start complaining like the children of Israel did in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. Their complaining was a sin of unbelief and was a slap in God’s face. As a result, it left them stuck in the wilderness for forty years! Who wants to experience that?
If you want to avoid being stuck in the wilderness and experience the power to be productive you must be connected to Christ, so He can do the producing and you must stop complaining so God can do the pruning. Trust Him that He knows what He is doing and He does it for your benefit and His glory.
Are you going through a season of pruning? You’re experiencing loss and pain. Even good opportunities are being taken away and you’re disillusioned with God. Your flesh wants to cry out and complain, but deep inside your faith is beginning to grow. Trust the Gardener. He knows what He is doing and thank Him for the next season He is about to produce in your life that will be the most productive of all!
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.