Lesson #3 Where Does It Hurt?
Again, our lessons come from John Chapter 15 where Jesus is talking to His disciples about the importance of their connection with Him and the Father. He uses the analogy of the Vine and the Branches.
John 15:2 "Every branch in me that
beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit,
he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit".
In Lesson #2, we learned about the
degrees that God will go to in order to “love us to LIFE!” He
works with us and in us to help us begin to see things in our life
that are hindering us from being fruitful. Discipline from Him is
more about sin but pruning by Him, which this lesson is about, is
more about self. We must understand the difference between
discipline and pruning because if we don't, then we can constantly
get stuck in a vicious cycle of discipline and always be “on the
outs” with God.
When God begins showing you what needs
changed within you through rebuke, chastening and scourging,
repentance is the key. Turn away from the sin and turn to God. Any
wounds buried within you, let surface, confront and conquer,
letting God heal. Then you'll begin to see fruit begin to grow in
your life.
God is well pleased with a fruitful
life, but He also does not want us to just be happy with less than
His best that He has for us. This is when we may begin to see some
pruning begin.
I think the time comes in every
Christian's life as they mature more and more in the Lord, where God
sees some things that need to be 'cut away'. That is what pruning
is. A cutting away of some things in our life that might not
necessarily be bad things, yet may be coming between us and God's
purpose. In pruning, God asks us to let go of things that keep us
from His Kingdom purposes and our ultimate good. Pruning is what
brings our life to great abundance!
Sometimes it may seem like things are
being hacked off our life through circumstances and can be very
painful, but God's love for us is so strong that He will not stop
tending our life. He wants what is HIS BEST for our life! Just as
with the grapevine, once pruned back, the fruit begins to grow in
abundance!
Maybe you have preoccupations and
priorities in your life that may not necessarily be wrong but they
could be keeping you from more significant ministry for God. What
drains time and energy from what's truly important in your life? God
deals with us individually. What God might consider wasteful in my
life might be necessary in yours, so it's important that you are
listening to God for YOU and not comparing your life to someone
elses. God's plan and purpose for you is unique and personal to YOU.
Keep your ear up next to God's heart
and be listening to what may need to be 'cut back' from your life for
it to become abundant for God's glory!
What God asks of you now may be very
difficult, but once you say yes, the results will be dramatically
more than you could ever imagine! The most fruitful and joy-filled
Christians are the most pruned Christians! A lot of Christians never
get this far. I know for us, we've always said we want all that God
has for us, yet when we look back on the years we have served the
Lord, we can see where we still had to maintain a bit of control. We
never did relinquish all control to God. We still had things/people
we wanted to hang on to. Relinquishing ALL control to God is the
place you have to get to in order to truly experience that abundant
life with God!
God doesn't want His pruning to be a
mystery or confusing. Just as when we get injured, our father asks
us “Where does it hurts?” God does the same to us. Where is the
pain coming from? The pain comes from the area in which God is
snipping from. He's preparing you for the season of abundance that
is to come. You may not see it right now but it definitely is on it's
way.
Just like in a Vineyard, pruning is
seasonal, but then the fruit comes after. Relinquish all control to
the Vinedresser, and stay connected. People we love, money and
possessions we cling to, our deep sense of personal rights (thinking
we have the right to know why He does what He does) and the source of our significance: These areas God must rule if we are to bear fruit.
His goal isn't to plunder or harm us but to liberate us so that we
can pursue our true desire – His Kingdom. Our response to the
pruning is very important. Complain, rebel, compromise, run away
or experience joy, comfort and rest that comes to those who keep
their eyes on the prize, not the pain!
Romans 8:38-39 I am persuaded that
nothing can separate me from God's love! Are YOU?
If you want to reach a state
of bliss - make a decision to relinquish the need to control, the
need to be approved and the need to judge. You will begin to
truly know what being free really feels like and be able to
experience what that abundant life is that the Bible speaks of.
In the next lesson we'll learn about
abiding in the Vine and staying connected.
Connie Schmoll
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