Thursday, November 10, 2005 - Help, I'm being prunned

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.  John 15:2

I am in a season in life where I can say God is working, I am growing, and I can see fruit.  But God says He wants me to bear more fruit.  I've had a few situations arise where I have become discouraged.  I am discouraged with people and I'm trying to figure out how to handle it.  I can overlook the situation and move on. But is that what I am supposed to do?  I can forgive and move on.  Is that all I'm supposed to do?  I can confront the issues head on, seek some sort of restitution, forgive, and then move on. Sometimes I'd like to pretend it's not there.  But God didn't bring this up in order for me to not deal with it.  He wants me to deal with it because in so doing I can demonstrate more fruit.  Jesus says that I can't bear fruit without Him.  So I must study Him, love Him, worship Him, and relate to Him so that He can give me the power to bear the fruit He desires.  And there is a good reason to bear fruit.  He wants me to glorify the Father.

I am the vine you are the branches. HE who abides in Me, and I in him bears  much fruit; for without me you can do nothing.  John 15:5

By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be my disciples.  John 15:8

I'm not sure what God is telling me to do yet. But I do know this, whatever I do, it must be done with humility, love, compassion, and grace. Maybe this is exactly the fruit He wants me to bear.

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverence godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

2 Peter 1:5-8

Susan