CHALLENGES IN LIVING
TOGETHER AS COMMUNITY
.
.
Being Pruned and
Bearing Fruit
.
by Tom
Caballes
"I am
the true vine, and my Father is the
vinedresser. 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."
- John
15:1-2 ESV
Isn’t it easier if once we decided to follow and
serve the Lord, everything else would fall into
place? No more personal struggles, relationship
issues, financial challenges, and so on.
Sometimes, life is like a whack-a-mole arcade game
- as time moves on, the challenges seem to
increase in frequency and with greater difficulty,
and we feel like giving up. But God uses those
difficulties in life to mould us and shape to be
more like Him – and therefore they increase our
capacity to love and serve Him and His people. God
is committed to continue and finish the work He
began in you [see Philippians 1:6]. Are you ready
to live a lifetime of pruning so you will
continually bear fruit? He will not finish pruning
you until you are like Christ’s image – that is
God’s goal in you.
So How Do We
Become More Open to Being Pruned
So We Can Bear More
Fruit?
- Be realistic about your expectations in
life. Do not assume perfection will ever come
on this side of eternity; if things go well,
then all is good. But more often than not,
things go array in life – things you have not
faced before. Be ready for a lifetime of
pruning. Hope for the best, but be prepared
when things go haywire in life.
- Be a learner for a lifetime. Learning does
not stop when we finish school or university;
when we follow Jesus, we enter into a lifetime
school of love. Jesus is our teacher by
showing us how to act, think, and behave like
Him. Like imperfect students, we fail at times
by being selfish and sinning. Repent. Be
open-minded to learn to be a better spouse,
parent, worker, servant, and a brother or
sister to your brothers and sisters. As you
get older, circumstances change; you need to
be open to learning to adapt to new ways or
responding lovingly.
- Live with a goal of pleasing and loving God
in mind, not people. If our goal in life is to
please someone other than God, we are not
allowing God to prune us. No one can serve
two masters, for either he will hate the one
and love the other, or he will be devoted to
the one and despise the other. (Matthew
6:24a ESV)
- Grow in the wisdom and knowledge of God.
There are many ways we learn – including
experiencing mistakes, learning from someone
else’s mistakes, and by learning God’s Word
for us. If we come to know God’s wisdom for us
in different situations, we avoid the
unnecessary errors we commit to getting
through life. Immerse your mind primarily in
God’s Word and in good spiritual books. Let
your mind be held captive by God’s Word.
- Remember that God is mainly concerned about
forming your character, not your riches or
success in life. When you said your yes to
God, you began a lifetime of transformation in
becoming more like Jesus day by day, little by
little. When you start your day and look in a
mirror, do you see Jesus’ reflection? If not
yet, be ready for some pruning during the day
– some ‘stretching’ here and there, some
forgiveness needed, or some forbearance
required. Great things can result from small
actions done consistently day by day.
- Never give up! We will only win the prize at
the end of our journey. When times are
challenging, and it seems like the mountain
you are climbing is too high, look to Jesus. Therefore,
since we are surrounded by so great a cloud
of witnesses, let us also lay aside every
weight, and sin which clings so closely, and
let us run with endurance the race that is
set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder
and perfecter of our faith… (Hebrews
12:1-2a ESV) We might need to rest and pause
for a while in our spiritual race, but we
should never give up.
Other Scripture passages:
- For the Lord disciplines the one he
loves, and chastises every son whom he
receives. It is for discipline that you have
to endure. God is treating you as sons. For
what son is there whom his father does not
discipline? (Hebrews 12:6-7a ESV)
- For the moment all discipline seems
painful rather than pleasant, but later it
yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness
to those who have been trained by it.
(Hebrews 12:11 ESV)
- Other Bible verses: Psalm 94:12-14; Proverbs
3:11-12; Revelations 3:19; and Deuteronomy
8:5.
For
personal reflection or
group sharing
- In what ways do you need to be pruned by God
so you can bear more fruit?
- Are you ready to increase your capacity to
love and serve God by being pruned daily?
 |
Tom
Caballes is the
National Senior
Administrator and a
National Coordinator
of the Lamb
of God, a
community of the
Sword of the Spirit
with 7 branches
located throughout
New Zealand. Tom
also leads Kairos
New
Zealand, an
outreach program for
high school,
university, and
post-university aged
people.
Tom and
his wife Mhel and
their two
daughters live in
Wellington, New
Zealand.
|
.l
|
