Pruning What Must Be Cut Off?
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 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. JOHN 15:1-2
Strategic pruning falls into three categories: the bad, the neutral and the good-but-not-best. • Parasites (the bad) bring only harm. They attach quickly and drain life. Scripture is unambiguous here: “cut it off and throw it away” (Matthew 5:30). Examples: addictive behaviors, pornography, gossip, corrosive entertainment, media intake that produces anxiety, envy or despair. • Suckers (the neutral) are branches that look healthy and grow fast but yield little fruit. They’re a less obvious enemy than parasites, but can reduce a harvest greatly — quietly draining resources from productive vines. A wise farmer is merciless with suckers. Examples: low-value entertainment, endless news consumption, involvements that keep life busy but shallow, all-consuming sports or other activities that crowd out family and spiritual life. • Good-but-not-best growth is the hardest to prune. These are healthy branches — roles, programs, habits — that’ve borne fruit but perhaps divert energy from something better. Pruning them frees up resources for what’s most important and for what God may call us to next. Examples: former leadership roles, healthy practices that consume too much focus, organizational programs that remain positive but no longer strategic. On the next page is a worksheet to begin considering what areas of our life need pruning and even cutting off completely. Before you get started, take a minute to pause and pray. Turn your eyes to God in worship and to remember what Jesus said in John 15, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” We can do nothing apart from the Father, we desire not what our feeble hands can grasp, but rather what He alone can grow.
What must be cut?
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