You Will
Experience Cutbacks
By Beth Moore
Growing can look a lot like shrinking.
Sometimes you may not have the faintest clue
God is busily making you more productive,
because what seems far clearer is that He is
intent on killing you.
Nothing is more painful to the branch than
pruning—and nothing is more irresponsible for
the vinedresser than avoiding it.
We dwell in an age of aesthetics, where beauty
is chief among aims. The purpose of the branch,
however, is not the beauty of a well-tended
vine covered in leaves misty with dew, filtered
through the light of dawn. No, the purpose of
the branch is benefit, and its benefit is found in
its fruitfulness.
Pruning, according to Jesus, is a good sign.
It doesn’t just signal future fruit. It’s proof of
previous fruit.
Every branch in me that does not bear fruit
[the vinedresser] takes away, and every
branch that does bear fruit he prunes.
- John 15:2
The vinedresser doesn’t bother pruning
branches that don’t bear fruit. He prunes those
that do. Receiving a cutback for impressive
production is counterintuitive to us mortals,
particularly in a screen-driven world where the
bigger the bytes, the better the product. God,
however, doesn’t mind being misunderstood.
His determination to do us good is undeterred
by accusations that He’s doing us harm.
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