Trusting the Process of Growth Even When It’s Uncomfortable - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - September 9, 2026
“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
Most of us welcome growth when it looks like progress. We celebrate the new opportunity, the answered prayer, the open door, or the long-awaited breakthrough. We often measure growth by what is being added to our lives. But sometimes God grows us through what He asks us to release. There have been seasons when I prayed for God to grow me, use me, and draw me closer to Him without realizing that growth might involve letting go. I wanted the fruit, but I did not necessarily want the pruning required to produce it.
Pruning rarely feels like progress while it is happening. It can feel like disappointment, interruption, or even loss. A door closes that we were certain God would open. A relationship changes. A familiar season ends. The plan we carefully created begins to unravel, and we are left wondering whether we misunderstood God or somehow stepped outside His will. Yet in John 15, Jesus offers us a different way of viewing these uncomfortable seasons. He describes God as a gardener who carefully tends His branches. Jesus says that every branch already bearing fruit is pruned so that it can become even more fruitful. The branch being pruned is not barren. It is already producing something good. That means pruning is not necessarily punishment. It is not evidence that we have failed or that God is disappointed in us. Sometimes pruning is evidence that the Gardener sees the potential for deeper growth in us.
A gardener does not randomly cut away at a healthy plant. Every cut has a purpose. Dead, damaged, or unnecessary growth is removed so the plant’s energy can be directed toward producing stronger and healthier fruit. God may lovingly do something similar in our lives. He may ask us to release our need for control, our dependence on others’ approval, an unrealistic expectation, an unhealthy pattern, or even something that was good for a previous season but is no longer meant to go with us into the next one.
We often assume that anything being removed must be a setback. But God sees what we cannot. He knows what is draining us, distracting us, or keeping us from becoming who He created us to be. He also knows which things, though once fruitful, may need to be surrendered so that something deeper can grow. This does not mean the process will be painless. Letting go can hurt, even when we trust the hands of the One doing the pruning. We can believe that God is good and still grieve what is changing. We can trust His plan and still feel uncomfortable with the process. Jesus does not ask us to pretend that pruning is easy. Instead, He tells us to remain.
“Remain in me, as I also remain in you.” - John 15:4
Our responsibility is not to understand every cut or force ourselves to produce more fruit. Our invitation is to stay close to Jesus. We remain through prayer, Scripture, worship, and honest conversations with Him. We remain when we understand what He is doing, and we remain when we do not. Branches do not produce fruit by striving harder. They produce fruit by staying connected to the vine. Perhaps this season feels quieter, smaller, or less certain than you expected. Maybe something you hoped would be added has instead been taken away. It can be tempting to assume that your life is falling apart or that you are moving backward. But sometimes the most uncomfortable seasons are not signs that we are falling apart. They are evidence that God is carefully shaping us for greater fruitfulness.
The pruning may be painful, but the Gardener is trustworthy. He is not carelessly removing pieces of your life. He is lovingly making room for the fruit He knows can grow there.
Let's pray ...
Father,
Help me trust Your loving hands when growth feels uncomfortable. Give me the courage to release what You are removing and remain close to Jesus throughout the process.
Amen.
What truth from today’s devotional is God using to encourage your heart? Share your reflection and join our conversation in the iBelieve Truth Devotional Forum.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Yacobchuk
— 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV
Jessica Ward is a Christian writer, speaker, Bible teacher, and author of Broken Can Be Beautiful: Embracing New Beginnings. She serves as a Bible Study Fellowship Teaching Leader and is passionate about helping women recognize God’s presence in every season, especially in places of waiting, grief, change, and spiritual renewal. Through her writing, speaking, and online ministry, Jessica encourages women to return to the Lord with honesty, hope, and trust in His unfailing grace. She writes at jessward.org and shares biblical encouragement through her newsletter, videos, and social media. Jessica lives in New Mexico with her husband, Chet, and loves being a wife, mom, and Branny (grandmother).
Related Resource: How Faith Finds Us When Life Takes a Detour
Joining us this week is worship leader turned viral comedian Heather Land. After growing up in the shadow of her mother’s decades-long addiction, Heather reflects on how this painful season—alongside her unexpected shift from the worship stage to the world of comedy—taught her that while our paths may take unforeseen turns, our core calling to encourage and uplift others remains constant.
Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Rachel Kessler, an Episcopal priest and Kenyon College chaplain who completed her PhD in medieval studies at the University of Toronto before pivoting to seminary after hitting academic burnout, then built a following as the “Nerdy Priest” on TikTok after a student secretly downloaded the app on her phone.
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