Chuck Larsen

Just as the vinedresser (God) has to prune the vines to make them more productive, God does the same with us. In John 15:1-2, Jesus says that we are the branches and He is the vine, “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” The process of pruning is always to make us better. It’s always for our own good. There’s an interesting process associated with pruning. We are all at one of three stages with regard to it. We may have just been pruned. We may be growing back after having been pruned, or we may be in full bloom after having been pruned.

We love it when things are really going great in life. We should truly enjoy it and celebrate. But we must never forget that another pruning will be coming sooner or later. I know this because no matter how much pruning you and I have experienced, we are never going to be perfect. There is always more work to be done on us. God is faithful. Paul says, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). I like the NASB (New American Standard Bible) translation of this passage because it focuses on the fact that if we have breath, God is still working on us and He will keep on working on us until we either go to be with Christ, or Christ comes to be with us. The pruning process is never over! Realizing this truth keeps us humble at those times when we are most productive.

Maybe you have just experienced a very serious pruning and are overwhelmed with how naked and bare you look to yourself and others. To survive this stage, we must constantly remind ourselves of God’s infinite goodness. The Psalmist explains how to handle this stage. In Psalm 142:2, we read, “I pour out my problems to him; I tell him my troubles.” Maybe you’ve moved beyond the barren stage and are just beginning to sprout new life. One writer says about this situation, “Your growth will be stunted if you spend your time looking back on your last pruning with regret instead of gratitude.” This is one problem I’m always wrestling with. It’s so tempting to hold on to the pains of the pruning and become bitter and resentful. The writer goes on to say, “Let me encourage you to let it go as you rejoice in the strength gained to move on to the next level.” When God prunes us, it always results in a greater good as well as a sweeter fruit. James simply tells us to let that happen. He says that these pains and problems produce steadfastness, “And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (See James 1:3-4).

Studying the Bible can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life. If we open our hearts to the truths contained therein, we find many of the puzzling questions in life have reasonable answers.  This is especially true regarding the presence of evil in the world and pain in our own lives. The scriptures teach us that God is a God of love and only allows problems in our lives as the baker allows some nasty ingredients into the recipe because when the cake comes out of the oven, it’s better to have those ingredients. His promise is both old, Jeremiah 29:11 and new, Romans 8:28. He promises us that regardless of the current situation, all things will work out in the end for our good. His good plans and purposes for us will never be derailed by any person, pain, or problem. Jesus taught his disciples this truth on several different occasions.

Jesus explained to His disciples that God intentionally uses our pain, problems, and people to make us all that he wants us to be.  All our problems, pressures, pains, and difficult people are part of God’s plan to make us more productive!   Jesus says that he is “the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser” (John 15:1). Now that he has disciples, and us as well, thinking about growing grapes (fruit) on vines and that process, He moves on to something that they are all very familiar with;  the necessity of pruning. He says in the next verse, “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

When we think about it, I expect every believer understands this concept. In fact, I’d expect many believers know too much about this already. It seems the most painful pruning experiences in life are brought on by the hands and words of others. God will often use difficult people in our lives to prune us. It might involve ugly things people say to or about us. It might just be operating in an environment where you are certain your style, personality, or appearance is something that is just unacceptable.  Over my years in ministry, I’ve faced and still face many people weekly who disapprove of me and my style. God will use them for good in my life.  It doesn’t matter what their intentions are; God always means it for my good. That’s what our faith is all about. Joseph learned this truth about his own brothers, who wanted to kill him but ended up selling him into slavery. When the power to retaliate was in his hands, he simply stated, “You meant it for bad, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). God always means it for good for you and me, too.

I’ve heard Christians say that Jesus solved all their problems. Now, I know there have been times when my faith has seen me through difficult times and that circumstances have worked out well for me when the opposite was not only a possibility but an expectation.  Yet, the truth is God never promises to deliver us from the problems that we all face in this world today. One writer asks: “The moment you were born into God’s family, did someone explain that you were going to have many trials in the Christian life? Or that your life may, at times, be harder than it was before you became a Christian? If not, they should have.”  Jesus said, “In the world, you will have problems” (John 16:33). Paul said that all who desire to live godly lives will have problems (see 2 Timothy 3:12). Luke says that we only enter into the Kingdom of God through many problems (see Acts 14:22).

I really struggle with the prosperity theology so commonly proclaimed by many television evangelists today. I get tired of the outright assertions and backhanded suggestions that if you only had enough faith, your cancer would go away. If you only believed stronger, your child wouldn’t be using drugs. If you just had enough faith, your problems would all be resolved! There is a deep theological word that sums up that kind of theology: Baloney! I regularly meet people who have fallen prey to this teaching. I even had one person say that when they became a believer, it marked the end of their problems. I agree with the guy who said, yes, it marks the end of your problems, the front end! I have problems. You have problems. All God’s children have problems.

But we have a resource that we’ve never had before by which to manage the problems of life. That resource is our faith! Faith is not just believing that God exists but that He will deal with all evil in all of its forms sooner or later (See Hebrews 11:1). Faith is trusting God to have our best interest foremost in mind regardless of the problems we may be facing in life. It’s believing God is a God of love and only allows problems in our lives as the baker allows some nasty ingredients into the recipe because when the cake comes out of the oven, it’s better for having had those ingredients. That’s why the author of Hebrews tells us that in the midst of the race, we keep our eyes on the prize. Hebrews 12:2 says we should keep our eyes on Jesus as we hurdle the obstacles in the race of life. He’s the founder and perfecter of our faith. Who suffered more? Who had more problems? Corrie Ten Boom, a woman of faith with huge problems,  put it this way, “When your eyes are on the world, you are oppressed; when your eyes are on yourself, you are depressed; when your eyes are on Jesus, you are at rest.” The rest of Jesus’ quote from John 16:33 is important. It says, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart because I have overcome the world.”