The Master Gardener…
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. John 15:1-2
It’s winter now and time to trim the dormant plants in the yard. I clearly remember when I first began raising clematis. I read that it is necessary to remove most branches, leaving only a few strong branches. Even those branches that remain need to be pruned from their normal 5 to 6 foot summer length to less than 12 inches each! I was hesitant to cut back my vigorous clematis that had blossomed so prolifically over the summer, gracing my fence with amazing flowers. What if the severe pruning killed them?! So, I decided to just trim one plant back and see what happened.
Jesus spoke of Spiritual growth in terms of gardening. He talked about how God, the Father, cuts off any branch that doesn’t bear fruit. Those branches could include wasted time, selfish habits, and other sin. Wasted time may involve a number of things such as social media addiction, world overload from too much news, or other seemingly innocuous habits. Selfish habits could be consistently placing personal “needs” above anyone else’s needs, wasting money and time on excessive online purchases, or being judgmental of others. Sin comes in many forms.
Because God loves us, He trims away the things that are unnecessary, just as I trim away many of the smaller branches of my clematis. In addition, God prunes the good branches as well in order that lives may be more fruitful. These are the good things that may monopolize time and keep us from growing in new and better ways. They might include spending too much time and energy on travel or other hobbies, working or serving to the point of depleting ourselves, or even relegating God in our lives as a distant second to our loved ones. Each of these things can be a struggle for most of us.
When I look at my clematis, I see a perfect example of what happens when we let God be the gardener of our soul to remove and prune so that we grow to better reflect His character of love and peace. That first year, the clematis that I did NOT trim and prune came back as tangled, gangly, and produced few flowers. The clematis that I DID trim and prune produced countless luminescent white flowers all season long. As I go out to my garden this winter to trim and prune my plants, I’ll be reflecting about what God would like to trim and prune in my life this year and know that the letting go will provide an abundance of good changes in my life and character.
As you consider your life in the quiet season of winter, take some time to think about how God might be wanting to trim and prune your life and character. What can you let go in order to allow your soul to grow in beautiful ways?
