Why You Really Need to Embrace the Pruning Process

Clarence L. Haynes Jr. Contributing Writer
Updated Jul 20, 2023

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 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 15:1-2).

Growing up in NYC, aka the concrete jungle, one thing that was missing from my neighborhood were gardens. You might find a small one here or there, but those were few and far between. Living the city life for so long made me familiar with subways and sidewalks, but not too familiar with gardens. Since I have a brown thumb and not a green one, I had to do some research about gardening to write this article. One thing I learned about gardens is if you see one that is beautiful and well maintained, that result happens because of the gardener. You cannot have a splendid garden without a talented gardener because gardens don’t happen by accident, but by intention. The gardener is the expert, and they know how to design and position the plants in the garden so they will thrive. They ensure the plants are healthy and keep the landscaping in and around the garden well-maintained. By doing these things, they keep these areas looking lush, beautiful, and pleasing to the eyes of those who look at them.

However, to get and keep the garden in this condition, it requires pruning. This is where the expertise of the gardener really shines. The pruning process in a nutshell involves removing, cutting, or addressing all the potential things that can hinder the growth of the plants in the garden. When done well, this really positions the plants to be healthy and to shine.

God the Father, aka the Great Gardener

My friends, God, the gardener, planted you and me in Christ and placed us where he desired us with the goal of making us fruitful. He has planted you exactly where you need to be to bear fruit. However, he doesn’t just want you to bear a little fruit; he wants you to bear a lot of fruit. For that to happen, he must take you through the pruning process.

What Is the Benefit of the Pruning Process in Your Life?

When God prunes, he does it with the goal of taking you from being fruitful to being more fruitful. Because God is the expert gardener, there will be specific things he targets to prune out of your life. Everything he targets are things keeping you from developing the way he wants you to. Because you are his masterpiece and the goal is to mold you into the character of Christ and have you as a shining example that brings him glory, he is going to prune away things from your life with care. Here are some things he may target.

1. Dead Things or Things of No Value

Believe it or not, we can hold on to things in our life that are dead or of no value to us. Sometimes you can hold them so long they become ingrained in who you are and you can end up carrying around dead things that keep you from being more fruitful. These dead things can be old memories, past failures or hurts, or clinging to the way things used to be.

Whatever they are, they are holding you back and potentially harming you. Because God sees this, he works to cut those things out of your life because he wants to position you to shine and be more fruitful.

2. Pests

In any garden there are pests that can come in and try to ruin the healthy growth of the plants. In your life, it is no different. Pests can be strongholds, distractions, habits, or behaviors that affect your ability to grow healthy and be more fruitful. These things can appear in all shapes and sizes, and they may not even be sinful things, just distracting things. Since everything has the potential to become a stronghold or distraction in your life, you must be careful. Thankfully, when God the gardener sees these things, he goes to work to get rid of them.

3. Influences

One enormous area that is affecting many Christians today, and has always affected Christians, is influences. These influences can be in church or out of church. They can be Christians or non-Christians. They can be people you watch or listen to on social media or regular media. Influences affect your thought life and shape your behaviors negatively. Sometimes they do it so skillfully you don’t even realize they are changing the way you think.

The problem is, instead of becoming more like Christ, they move you in the opposite direction. Just like the others, when God sees this, he goes to work to cut these things away so you can refocus and get back on the fruitful path. However, sometimes instead of removing the influence, God will move you and replant you somewhere else in the garden to position you for maximum fruitfulness.

4 Truths about Pruning

1. Pruning Can Be a Painful Act

Since pruning often involves cutting, it can be painful. God is removing things that we sometimes fight to hold on to. When you do this, you make the process more painful, but thankfully, God doesn’t stop because it hurts. He continues because he knows the things he is pruning in your life are more damaging to you than the pruning act itself.

2. Pruning Is a Necessary Act

The beautiful part about pruning is that it is necessary. I know you might think how is cutting beautiful when it can hurt? Well, if you are fruitful, God wants to make you more fruitful. This should be a reason to rejoice. But, to get to the more fruit as I mentioned, it may hurt a little. However, as the expression goes, no pain, no gain. The beautiful part is God is not trying to hurt you, but help you. It is like when you go for surgery. The doctor may cut you open to fix something. There may be some lingering pain for a while, but in the long run, you are better off.

3. Pruning Is a Sanctifying Act

“You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you” (John 15:3).

Right after saying the Father is the gardener, Jesus said these words you just read. The good news about pruning is this is a sanctifying act, not a saving act. You are already a Christian and God simply wants to get the best out of you.

4. Pruning Is a Loving Act

Perhaps the best part about pruning is it shows how much God loves and cares for you. We can liken pruning to discipline and God only does that for those he loves.

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son” (Hebrews 12:5-6).

If God is bringing you through the pruning process, it is only further evidence of his tender love for you.

Embrace the Pruning Process

As you think about yourself, what are some things God is trying to cut away in your life? Are you facing a season of challenges, difficulties, storms, or circumstances that may be hard to explain? It could be the gardener at work. If you are fruitful, God is going to prune to make you more fruitful. Don’t run from this pruning process, embrace it. When you do, you will come out of it healthier, more fruitful, and more attractive. Best of all, you will know God is molding you more into the image of Christ and there is no better outcome than that.

Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a speaker, Bible teacher, and co-founder of The Bible Study Club. He is the author of The Pursuit of Purpose which will help you understand how God leads you into his will. His most recent book is The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. This book will teach you how to put the pieces together so you can live a victorious Christian life and finally become the man or woman of God that you truly desire to be. Clarence is also committed to helping 10,000 people learn how to study the Bible and has just released his first Bible study course called Bible Study Basics. To learn more about his ministry please visit clarencehaynes.com.