Cut to Grow: God’s Way of Making You More

 

“God sometimes uses the sharp sheers of pruning to prepare us for our next harvest.  God prunes not to punish us but to prepare us. Pruning is the process of cutting away what is unnecessary to make room for what God desires.”  –Pastor Billy Johnson.

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The Source of Pruning – Who Holds the Shears?

John 15:1 – “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.”

The scripture tells us that the holder of the sheers is God.  He is the true vinedresser, and we must trust the holder of the sheers as God fulfills the purpose for our lives.

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The Recipient of Pruning – Who Gets Cut? (v2)

No one bearing fruit will escape pruning. The recipient of the pruning is us. Pruning takes place in the dormant season, to multiply the fruitful and not to wound. If we are the recipients, what are we holding onto that God is trying to remove?

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The Purpose of Pruning – Why Must We Be Cut? (v2)

God’s vision is to multiply until the fruit remains. The purpose of being cut is to remove what is:

• dead (harmful/disease filled)
• distracting (steals nutrients/adds no value)
• disordered (growing in a direction other than God’s)
• dark (prevents exposure to the light).

The purpose of pruning is not punishment, but it is proactive, for productivity, and a part of the process.

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The Tool for Pruning – What Does God Use? (v3)

The word is both a sheer and a soap.  It will cut you by cutting away old ideas, assumptions and patterns.  It will cleanse your mind, your thinking and even the way you view yourself.

“God’s word is the tool for pruning.” – Pastor Billy Johnson

 

The Result of Pruning – What Comes After the Cut? (v4)

The pain of pruning must be partnered with the posture of abiding, which is a permanent position of intimacy with the Lord.

“Pruning sets the stage, but abiding brings the fruit.” – Pastor Billy Johnson

God takes away to add more.  Stay connected, greater fruit is on the way.