“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 15:2, ESV)
Do you know that your body grows stronger when put under certain types of stress, as it deals with illness, and as it is pushed with challenges? That is how weightlifting strengthens the body. That is why you might feel stronger after going through rehab following surgery. That is why older people are encouraged to do crosswords, solve puzzles, and tackle other thought-provoking brainteasers. It helps the mind remain sharp! During seminary, pastoral students are placed in churches, hospitals, nursing homes, rehab centers, and other places in order to test their abilities when doing ministry. As these budding pastors learn, being put in challenging situations helps them become better equipped to start their mission work or fill pastorates.
God has designed your body, your mind, and your soul to adapt and mature as you go through life. If you allow learning, healing, and growth to occur as God intends, you will develop the ability to adapt to changes and react faithfully to problems. Those who are coddled will find they can’t handle the stresses of life. Those who have it easy may fail and falter when they need to be steadfast to work things out.
Marian cherished her son, Cal. She doted on him. He was her pride and joy. Marian got pregnant with Cal when she was barely out of high school. Marian’s parents helped her in various ways through the pregnancy. They covered medical costs and went with Marian to parenting and birthing classes. With her parents’ help, Marian welcomed her son Cal into her life. She happily worked two jobs to get him everything he needed to enjoy his life.
When Cal turned ten, he started to have problems in school. A teacher complained that Cal was disruptive in class. Marian blamed the problems on Cal’s friends. She also blamed the teacher for Cal’s poor grades and troubles.
During Cal’s teen years, he fell in with a troublesome group of friends. He started drinking alcohol at fourteen and used drugs for the first time at sixteen. When Cal got his driver’s license, Marian was thrilled. It was another milestone in his life! However, Cal did not use his newfound freedom and experience wisely. He received several speeding tickets. He was also cited for underage drinking at a party. Each time Cal got in trouble, Marian bailed him out. She got a friend to help cancel a couple speeding tickets. She hired a lawyer to get the underage drinking charge dropped.
Turning eighteen, Cal started his first job. Marian was hoping that the job might spark Cal to get serious about his choices, find a place of his own, and maybe start his own family. At first, Cal did wonderfully. As time passed, however, Cal became disillusioned with the long hours and responsibilities. He’d rather just sit on the couch and play video games with his friends or crash at a friend’s house. Marian and Cal fought often. Marian worked herself to the bone, while Cal seemed to float through life. Cal was not very nice to his mother, either. He swore at her, called her names, and made fun of her life choices and poor salary. He complained about her small apartment and lack of money.
Years later, the relationship between Marian and Cal became strained. They hardly spoke. Cal moved an hour away and seldom came home. Marian confided in her best friend that by making everything easy for Cal, Marian had failed her son. Cal grew up to be selfish and demanding. He expected others to come through when he had a need. He was irritable and resentful when given a challenge. Cal felt cheated by growing up without a father. He blamed Marian for most of his problems. He was angry often. He was not pleasant to be around.
If you make life too easy for a child, that child may grow up unable to be independent, incapable of handling problems, with a chip on his or her shoulder, self-centered, and hobbled by a victim mentality. Why? Because challenges in life when handled God’s way have a way of building character, giving you problem-solving skills, and teaching life lessons. Spiritually, this is crucial.
A person who glosses over problems, ignores challenges, and avoids mission work will have a stunted spiritual life. Their prayers will become shallow, ritualistic, or become a laundry list of wants. God will be judged by how well HE takes care of problems, alleviates pain, or comforts. When disputes or debates or dissents occur at church, the pampered person will just jump ship and find another church to “get what they need”. The spiritual life will be more about niceness and self-gratification and entertainment than discipline, genuine Bible study, self-discovery, mission WORK, and reaching out.
Hebrews 12:6 is a reminder that “the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he accepts.” God expects the young to learn respect, even commanding children to “honor their father and mother” (Exodus 20:12). Today’s scripture adds to this understanding that God pushes the faithful to learn, grow, study, reflect, and endure discipline. Jesus taught His own followers that God expects you to “bear fruit” (John 15:2). To help, God will “prune” you, so that you may bear more fruit. As a fruit tree suffers through pruning in order to cut back the dying branches so to produce more fruit, God will at times put you in situations that you may suffer in order to help you grow and learn and adapt. Sometimes, the only way for people to learn spiritual lessons is for them to be put in situations of need. The only way for people to become merciful is for them to fail. The only way for people to learn the joy of giving is for them to face hardship and hunger. The only way for some to learn to be trustworthy is for them to overcome temptation. All these spiritual lessons include difficulty and God’s “pruning” action.
If you find yourself facing obstacles or challenges, consider them periods of learning (or pruning!). Look for what God must teach you in those moments. Learn to trust God with the process. There is no way that God will make things easy for you. Why? God is treating you like a son or daughter. To be in God’s family, you need to learn respect, take the high road, be trustworthy, stand firm in faith, and more. You can’t produce fruit for God without some amount of “pruning”!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Faithful Lord my God! I have endeavored to be faithful to You. I come to You on this day to praise Your work, give thanks for Your call upon my life, and show respect for Your truth. In Jesus Christ, I seek Your counsel. With humility, I look for Your redemption.
There have been moments I have failed You, Lord. I have not followed through for You. I have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed. When presented with a choice, I decided to follow my own selfish ways instead of opting for a righteous outcome. In truth, there were times I should have asked for Your direction but instead followed my own wisdom. I was prideful. I didn't think. I acted rashly. I was not graceful.
I need forgiveness and grace. I admit that my tendency is to sin. Temptations have a way of luring me in. Worldly desires cloud my judgment. I am swayed by what is easiest, what fancies my mood, what is in my best interest. Too often, I do not respond with what is in Your best interest, what is right, what is holy.
Teach me to be patient, dear Lord! Teach me the meaning of suffering. May I learn the art of discipline. May I learn to adapt to Your will, that it may be done!
Today, I pray for the following people who are suffering for their choices, listening to the wrong voices, or just feeling "stuck" in life...
_______________________________________________________ . May they learn that Your ways are best, that Your comfort is the best comfort, and that a life without You is a life destined for sadness.
In honor of Jesus, I raise this prayer to Heaven! With love, I look to You! Amen.
God has designed your body, your mind, and your soul to adapt and mature as you go through life. If you allow learning, healing, and growth to occur as God intends, you will develop the ability to adapt to changes and react faithfully to problems. Those who are coddled will find they can’t handle the stresses of life. Those who have it easy may fail and falter when they need to be steadfast to work things out.
Marian cherished her son, Cal. She doted on him. He was her pride and joy. Marian got pregnant with Cal when she was barely out of high school. Marian’s parents helped her in various ways through the pregnancy. They covered medical costs and went with Marian to parenting and birthing classes. With her parents’ help, Marian welcomed her son Cal into her life. She happily worked two jobs to get him everything he needed to enjoy his life.
When Cal turned ten, he started to have problems in school. A teacher complained that Cal was disruptive in class. Marian blamed the problems on Cal’s friends. She also blamed the teacher for Cal’s poor grades and troubles.
During Cal’s teen years, he fell in with a troublesome group of friends. He started drinking alcohol at fourteen and used drugs for the first time at sixteen. When Cal got his driver’s license, Marian was thrilled. It was another milestone in his life! However, Cal did not use his newfound freedom and experience wisely. He received several speeding tickets. He was also cited for underage drinking at a party. Each time Cal got in trouble, Marian bailed him out. She got a friend to help cancel a couple speeding tickets. She hired a lawyer to get the underage drinking charge dropped.
Turning eighteen, Cal started his first job. Marian was hoping that the job might spark Cal to get serious about his choices, find a place of his own, and maybe start his own family. At first, Cal did wonderfully. As time passed, however, Cal became disillusioned with the long hours and responsibilities. He’d rather just sit on the couch and play video games with his friends or crash at a friend’s house. Marian and Cal fought often. Marian worked herself to the bone, while Cal seemed to float through life. Cal was not very nice to his mother, either. He swore at her, called her names, and made fun of her life choices and poor salary. He complained about her small apartment and lack of money.
Years later, the relationship between Marian and Cal became strained. They hardly spoke. Cal moved an hour away and seldom came home. Marian confided in her best friend that by making everything easy for Cal, Marian had failed her son. Cal grew up to be selfish and demanding. He expected others to come through when he had a need. He was irritable and resentful when given a challenge. Cal felt cheated by growing up without a father. He blamed Marian for most of his problems. He was angry often. He was not pleasant to be around.
If you make life too easy for a child, that child may grow up unable to be independent, incapable of handling problems, with a chip on his or her shoulder, self-centered, and hobbled by a victim mentality. Why? Because challenges in life when handled God’s way have a way of building character, giving you problem-solving skills, and teaching life lessons. Spiritually, this is crucial.
A person who glosses over problems, ignores challenges, and avoids mission work will have a stunted spiritual life. Their prayers will become shallow, ritualistic, or become a laundry list of wants. God will be judged by how well HE takes care of problems, alleviates pain, or comforts. When disputes or debates or dissents occur at church, the pampered person will just jump ship and find another church to “get what they need”. The spiritual life will be more about niceness and self-gratification and entertainment than discipline, genuine Bible study, self-discovery, mission WORK, and reaching out.
Hebrews 12:6 is a reminder that “the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he accepts.” God expects the young to learn respect, even commanding children to “honor their father and mother” (Exodus 20:12). Today’s scripture adds to this understanding that God pushes the faithful to learn, grow, study, reflect, and endure discipline. Jesus taught His own followers that God expects you to “bear fruit” (John 15:2). To help, God will “prune” you, so that you may bear more fruit. As a fruit tree suffers through pruning in order to cut back the dying branches so to produce more fruit, God will at times put you in situations that you may suffer in order to help you grow and learn and adapt. Sometimes, the only way for people to learn spiritual lessons is for them to be put in situations of need. The only way for people to become merciful is for them to fail. The only way for people to learn the joy of giving is for them to face hardship and hunger. The only way for some to learn to be trustworthy is for them to overcome temptation. All these spiritual lessons include difficulty and God’s “pruning” action.
If you find yourself facing obstacles or challenges, consider them periods of learning (or pruning!). Look for what God must teach you in those moments. Learn to trust God with the process. There is no way that God will make things easy for you. Why? God is treating you like a son or daughter. To be in God’s family, you need to learn respect, take the high road, be trustworthy, stand firm in faith, and more. You can’t produce fruit for God without some amount of “pruning”!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Faithful Lord my God! I have endeavored to be faithful to You. I come to You on this day to praise Your work, give thanks for Your call upon my life, and show respect for Your truth. In Jesus Christ, I seek Your counsel. With humility, I look for Your redemption.
There have been moments I have failed You, Lord. I have not followed through for You. I have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed. When presented with a choice, I decided to follow my own selfish ways instead of opting for a righteous outcome. In truth, there were times I should have asked for Your direction but instead followed my own wisdom. I was prideful. I didn't think. I acted rashly. I was not graceful.
I need forgiveness and grace. I admit that my tendency is to sin. Temptations have a way of luring me in. Worldly desires cloud my judgment. I am swayed by what is easiest, what fancies my mood, what is in my best interest. Too often, I do not respond with what is in Your best interest, what is right, what is holy.
Teach me to be patient, dear Lord! Teach me the meaning of suffering. May I learn the art of discipline. May I learn to adapt to Your will, that it may be done!
Today, I pray for the following people who are suffering for their choices, listening to the wrong voices, or just feeling "stuck" in life...
_______________________________________________________ . May they learn that Your ways are best, that Your comfort is the best comfort, and that a life without You is a life destined for sadness.
In honor of Jesus, I raise this prayer to Heaven! With love, I look to You! Amen.