Need Some Pruning?

     Those who know me well, like my mother, will not hesitate to tell you that I do not have a green thumb. I don’t agree totally. I have several plants I have kept alive for over ten years (Dwayne:  I know her and that's a miracle!). I will agree that if the plant cannot go long periods of time without water, then it will most likely die in my care. I do have a prize trophy though when it comes to having success with a plant. I bought a knock out rose bush three summers ago. I have read that they are indestructible and so it is the perfect plant for me. It is my trophy; standing five feet tall and five feet in width. In fact, it was hanging over half of the width of the sidewalk and it was in danger of being at the end of Dwayne’s cutting shears. Dwayne has no self control in stopping his trimming once he begins. So, I took care of my beautiful rose bush by trimming it myself. I hate pruning. When I work hard to get something to grow, it doesn’t make sense to me to cut it back! However, I know through studying and through my mother’s knowledge that it has to be done! While I was cutting back each branch, I realized that when I am pruning it, I am telling it how and in what direction, I want it to grow. I needed to trim it on both sides as well as the front because it was growing over other plants. On the right side it was protecting my peonies from the harsh sun. I only had to cut it away from the peony so it could flourish. On the left side, it was overshadowing my hydrangea bush. I have to say that if I only was allowed to have one bush, my trophy knock out bush would be gone and I would keep my hydrangeas. They are my favorite flower. So, though I love my knock out bush, it could not be allowed to overshadow my hydrangea. It had to be cut way back to its proper place in the garden.
     There are many great things to enjoy in life. There are many good causes to volunteer for. There are many people to help. There are many things we need to do to stay healthy and fit. There are many things we must do for our family. These things can fill our calendars to the point that we lose sight of what is the most important. I believe the best way Satan gets Christians unfocused and not serving is by getting them too busy. Busyness, even busyness with good things, can get the things of importance in our life way out of balance.
     Sometimes to get Jesus in His proper place at the center of our lives, we have to cut back on some things, even good things. My pastor; my husband has asked many times why is it that when someone gets too busy, they cut God out first? Good question! I see it happen all the time. They get too busy for church, for bible study, for fellowship, and for serving. They work all week and fill their Saturday with all the things they want to do, and then use Sunday to do all the things they didn’t do on Saturday! They do not protect their God time. They give God the leftovers of time, maybe! Sometimes, it becomes necessary to cut back on things we love in order to protect our time with God, which is supposed to be our priority! Sometimes God cuts things out of our lives to show us where He wants us to grow, and sometimes we just need to have some adjustments to continue to protect things that bring us pleasure, like our family.
     Spend time with God today and ask Him what He would like to see pruned from your life? Ask Him to show you if your priorities are messed up. Ask Him in what direction He wants you to grow. Are you protecting the things that are important like your family, or are you letting other things get entangled with your family time? Put the shears in God’s hands and have Him cut away! Do you trust Him?

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 15:2