It's Pruning Time!

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 bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

-John 15:1 - 4

God desires that we bear fruit. He wants us to produce both tangibly and intangibly so that others are affected by our lives. In order for us to bear fruit, we have to be pruned, however. In gardening, pruning is the process by which dead or overgrown branches or stems are cut away to increase fruitfulness and growth. Pruning doesn't always leave the plant looking pretty. Sometimes it may even look a little awkward, but each time it is making way for more growth. Can I suggest to you that God is using that wonderful spouse He has given you to help prune you? To cut way the dead and overgrown stuff? When we stand before the minister on our wedding day, draped in our lovely white dresses and sharp suits, we don't much think about how our lives are going to change dramatically after the honeymoon. We stand at the altar googly-eyed, surrounded by flowers and well-wishers. Many times we are thinking about the wedding and not the marriage. Yet, God is thinking about your future. He is thinking about perfecting you to maximize your potential for the kingdom, and your spouse plays a great role in that. Who else sees the "real" you? Your spouse knows what you look like first thing in the morning. They know what gets on your nerves and what excites you. They see the best and the worst version of you, and they love you any way. Who else is qualified to help prune you? I know that we don't like it when they tell us things that need to change. It is easy for us to shift the conversation to their flaws and shortcomings, but can I ask that you actually hear what they are saying? Could there be some truth to their message? Are there areas that you could stand some improvement in? Is your spouse saying that you don't listen? Or that you talk too much? Are they saying that you don't spend enough time with them? Are they asking for more intimacy or stricter financial reins? Maybe God is using them to speak truth that you need to hear. Maybe God is trying to cut back some dead stuff so that you can bear more fruit. Sometimes we have to receive the message regardless of the messenger. Instead of responding to your spouse with a list of their inadequacies, how about you take their concerns to the Father to see if there is any truth to it. If God says there is, then agree quickly and ask Him to help you work on it. I know I am asking a lot, but thank your spouse for pointing it out to you. This is where you have to spend plenty of time abiding in God so that your flesh doesn't take control. After all, you want to be exactly who God called you to be, right? Submit to the pruning process, dear friend. Bear more fruit!