If we trust that God’s pruning is an act of discipline that shapes us into who we were meant to be in Christ, then we should willingly ask for it. Our prayer should be similiar to that of David’s in Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (NIV). Are you willing to ask God to search you, test you, and cut out your offensive ways? We can be hesitant to pray these prayers with confidence. Often, we may ask in a posture of intimidation and secretly hope that he will ignore our prayer. Yet, what is the result of a life without pruning? A life without pruning is a life without fruit. And a life without fruit is useless.
If we want to look more like Jesus, our lives will need to be marked by our bold requests for God to test, search, and prune. We can do this confidently because we know that our identity is not based on what God prunes. If God prunes away sin, we don’t have to carry the weight of guilt or shame because Jesus already took the punishment for that sin on the cross. We are no longer defined by our sin, but by the holiness of Jesus.
It is the same if God prunes away what is good in us. Our identity is not based on the good we have done or the gifts we have to offer. Our identity is based on the good that Jesus has done and offered us.
With this knowledge, we can confidently ask God to prune us, knowing that whatever he cuts off has nothing to do with who we are. Our true identity is chosen and dearly loved children of God. God prunes so that this true identity can be displayed most clearly.
Reflection/Discussion Questions: Have you asked God to prune you lately? Why?
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