Thankful for Pruning

I was encouraged by these notes from Mike Bickle on John 15--particularly the part about pruning. You can see all the notes here.

• Pruning: A gardener cuts branches off the vine so it will be more flush with life. Each year after the harvest, in early spring, the vine dresser prunes (cuts away) over 80% of the vine from the previous year’s growth. If it is not cut off, the vine will grow as a wild vine without producing many grapes. The pruned branches are those resulting from the good life in the vine.
  
• Practically, the pruned branches speak of removing some of the increased activities, demands, responsibilities, and expectations that came with increased fruitfulness in the previous season. It may result in a decrease of money, ministry, influence, popularity, position, or power, etc.
  
•  In our circumstances, pruning sometime looks like a decrease of God’s blessing in our lives; thus some totally misinterpret it and feel discouraged, instead of thanking God and trusting His leadership, knowing that they will be more fruitful in love. Too much activity diminishes our life of abiding in Christ. Blessing in one season can create added distraction in the next season.
  
•  Pruning results in us possessing more love, humility, and purity in our life and imparting it in our ministry. He cuts off the branches that cause the life-flow in us to be distracted or diminished.
  
•  Every branch: The Father wants every fruit-bearing believer to bear more fruit. His commitment to prune us is a glorious promise, not a dreadful warning. He intervenes to bring forth more love, and purity in our life and ministry. The Lord is more committed to our greatness in His grace than we are (Mt. 5:19).
  
• The Father needs to prune us because we do not have the resolve or wisdom to cut off the familiar and seemingly good activities in our lives that result from seasons of fruitfulness.