-by Natalie Varrone-
The Bible is full of beautiful metaphors that we can unpackage each time we encounter them. We find one such passage in John 15 when Jesus describes a grapevine and its fruit. Much of the passage is about our need to stay connected to the vine (Jesus) in order to be able to bear good fruit. But in verse 2, Jesus says this, “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” Every branch bearing fruit is pruned. If you are a follower of Christ, you will be pruned throughout your lifetime. And if you read carefully, you find that He prunes branches that do bear fruit, not the branches that bear none.
Picture a grapevine being pruned. The vinedresser cuts off the old, withered, dead leaves. He tears off the lifeless grapes that are no longer good to eat so that new grapes may grow. He makes a clean cut on damaged growths. If I were a vine, this pruning process would be painful. Parts of me would be cut off, torn apart, and thrown in the trash. Old growths, that I have become rather fond of, would be taken from me. Some of these old shoots have been a part of my entire life and, although withered, bring me comfort. My aged, familiar grapes would be transformed into new baby grapes that feel strange on my old, familiar vine. At first, the new baby grapes may not feel like they belong to me. And quite frankly, the vinedresser never asked my permission about which parts of me would be discarded. It’s his decision. He decides what stays and what goes. He’s the expert at finding the hidden, ugly, withered fruit that covers the bottom of the vine that most vinedressers miss. Pruning requires constant change, and my old, familiar vine is rarely left alone.
We feel the same way in this painful process as people. The pruning of our hearts hurts. God, as the vinedresser, is cutting away parts of us that are no longer healthy growths. We have become accustomed to the old parts of ourselves. We’re used to those old, shriveled fruits at the bottom of our vine; it’s a part of us. It brings us comfort to know they’re still there, even if they do us no good. God doesn’t ask our permission to cut it off…if you are bearing fruit, He will prune every branch. What we think looks like a healthy grape, might not be a healthy grape on the inside. It may be ugly and rotted, even if the outside still looks tasteful and healthy. But the outside appearance doesn’t fool God. And He loves us too much to keep it there and appease us. We may disagree with Him about which grapes are healthy and which need to be removed. Sometimes we resist the vinedresser.
There are times in counseling when someone shares what problem has brought them in when I realize that the reason they are frustrated, anxious, or depressed is that God is pruning them, and they don’t like it. God is cutting off a section of their thought life, emotions, or situation that is no longer bearing fruit, and it hurts. There is no denying the pain, as in my experience, pruning is always painful. Growing pains are real. But this pain still comes as a shock to the Christian. After all, this person is seeking God, becoming closer to Him, and trying to live more like Christ. So naturally, they expect to feel encouraged, not in pain. But inevitably, this person will be pruned and it’s an uncomfortable experience. Denying yourself and the sinful pleasures of this world, and becoming more righteous than fallen, are unpleasant learning curves. Feeling the pain of being pruned is not a negative sign; on the contrary, it is a good sign that you are growing in your relationship with Christ and going to Him to be transformed into His image. The pain of pruning is a positive sign.
Is He convicting you of sin and you now feel guilty? Ouch. Is He putting you between a rock and a hard place to finally address a long-ignored issue? Oof. Is He limiting some of your freedoms to keep you from temptations that you habitually fall into? Ouch again. He will challenge you, stretch you, and change you from the inside out. Allow the process to occur. It is a sign that you are bearing good fruit, and, in His goodness, He wants you to bear more. Continue to go to Him to sanctify you, to cut out the sinful and unhealthy, and to conform you to the image of Christ. It will be worth the pain of being pruned.
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