It’s not always apparent when God chooses to prune things from your life.

Sometimes He needs to teach you something in ways you don’t expect until you’ve overcome the struggle. Other times He needs to remove something so you can grow stronger in your faith.

A few years ago, I wanted a garden. So, we took a family trip to Home Depot and bought loads of flowers. Before we were about to checkout, I saw grapevines on sale, so I bought them.

I thought it would be fun to grow my own grapes, farmhouse-ish style.

I had no idea what I was doing.

The instructions said to give lots of water, till the soil, and prune the branches.
I thought I could be munching some grapes toward the end of Summer. But I had to wait 3 years!

Nevertheless, each year I watered, tilled, pruned, and waited. The waiting part was the hardest. Especially when the grapes looked so tasty.

The time finally came to enjoy the fruit, and you know what?

We sold our house that year!

I didn’t even get the chance to eat them because God had a different plan for us.

We’d searched for a new home for years, and He blessed us the year the grapes were ready.
I did all that work for someone else to enjoy.

Isn’t that a typical example of how God works in His own timing?

We might pray for something and be faithful, but God blesses us in His time and His way.

Those grapes would’ve tasted terrible if I had eaten them too early. But I stayed with it, faithfully pruning.

The same way we prune grapevines, God is pruning us.

Sometimes, He prunes us for a long time before we can even appreciate His blessings.

The pruning isn’t easy. In fact, we may not realize the struggle we’re going through is actually a good thing coming from God and not the world.

Psalms 91:2 (NKJV) says,

“I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in him. I will trust.”

David declares how God has protected him, especially in difficult times. But he starts by first putting his trust in God.

Trust is something we struggle with. I know I certainly do. But it’s a necessary first step to embrace God, especially during times of pruning. Pruning is uncomfortable, and we must lean on Him through the changes.

But, we try to figure things out for ourselves and doubt our worth, so we don’t believe He’s talking to us in our life. His voice is overcome by the noise of our own guilt or shame.

It takes a LOT of submissions to fully accept His path.

Sometimes we unintentionally get in His way.

But it usually takes complete surrender for us to be open to what He’s doing.

God is pruning you to help your spiritual growth.

Here are 4 ways to reflect on how God is pruning you

1. Are you under pressure right now?

For example, is it a difficult time at work? Are you burning out at home? Usually, there’s pressure on you that tests your faith. But pressure helps you to see your strengths and weaknesses.

Most importantly, it guides you to look to God for help. Being faithful during stressful times has big rewards. It’s the pressure that brings out the character in you.

2. What temptations do you struggle with?

That doesn’t mean just the most obvious big ones, such as adultery or addictions. Instead, look into the more subtle temptations like toxic thinking about yourself, selfishness, anger, and idolatry. Look at what you are tempted to do, say, or think. Look at the situations you’re put into. Is God trying to show you something? Are you running away from Him or toward Him?

3. Who are your helpers?

Look for people in your life that are there for you during difficult times. Reflect on your relationship with them. Is it one-sided? God will bring people to you that can provide assistance through a hard time.

However, He can also show you the true colors of people you thought were reliable. They could be those you least expect. You will know the good ones by their fruits … if they consistently give you love, kindness, and longsuffering, they are probably genuine.

On the other hand, if they want you to be something else rather than accept you for who you are, God may be trying to remove them from your life.

When I first learned that I had cancer, the people I thought would be in my corner were surprisingly absent. But God also blessed me with many genuine people I didn’t expect would be my best supporters.

4. What conflict are you going through right now?

What obstacles are you trying to overcome? Something is occurring that you don’t want to change. But change may be what God needs from you. So take a step back and look at both sides of the conflict. What part lines up with God’s character?

I recommend studying the story of Joseph in the Bible (Genesis 37). Joseph was blessed with visions God gave him, but that gift almost cost him his life. His brothers were so jealous of him they threw him in a pit only for him to be taken into slavery. Ultimately, everything God allowed to happen to Joseph ended in blessing, not only to him and his family but the entire nation of Israel.

I hope these tips help you endure this time.

God’s pruning is uncomfortable for us but necessary for what He needs. Change is never easy when we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. But God’s path is always the best one. So keep praying and spending time with Him to hear His voice in your life.

You are a strong, capable individual that can do anything with God’s help.

Please comment with one way you’ve been blessed by God’s pruning in your life. I’d love to hear your story.