When Less is More
Sometimes I think God isn't in control when good things that I want to abound in my life are lopped off.
Snip. Snip. Snip. That's the sound of pruning in God's garden.
Pruning is a peculiar process. It involves destruction to increase production. It brings death to bestow life. It may temporarily ruin appearance, which is later restored.
I remember the day I thought my dad had gone completely crazy when he cranked up the chain saw, walked out into the front yard and mowed down our beautiful hedge of shrubs into a hedge of stumps. I thought the nursery man was crazy when he told me to clip off at least one half of the my apple tree blossoms. Sometimes I think God isn't in control when good things that I want to abound in my life are lopped off, don't you? “I am the true vine,” Jesus says, “and my Father is the gardener ... every branch that bears fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:1,2).
Did you catch that? God not only performs weed control in your life of Christian growth and destroys evil pests and plagues that could harm you. God also prunes good branches. Just as a good gardener will snip off good, healthy strawberry runners reaching out everywhere so that the remaining runners produce better fruit, your Heavenly Father will not hesitate to cut off even wholesome and righteous paths you might be taking – not because they are bad, but because he knows you will produce more fruit if your life is focused elsewhere. Less is more. It's a sign of his love and care for you.
Only ignorant, uninterested, or lazy gardeners don't prune their plants, but our caring Father is none of the above. So if you are in the midst of the pruning process, rejoice that God cares enough to do it. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.” Scripture tells us as if we don't know that already, “Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11). Again, less is more. More blooms of righteousness and blossoms of peace.
Pain now means production later. Temporary discomfort to attain eternal comfort. That's how God's garden grows. So accept his pruning in your life as an act of love, and it will help you bear much more fruit!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I confess that I can’t fully understand which of many good things are best for me. Nor can I completely comprehend the future. So when you take away what is good in my life, focus my concern on your perfect wisdom and loving mercy. Equip me with the right words and actions to help others who suffer loss, especially _________, for whom I ask your special care today. Amen.