We have a rose bush in our front yard that I prune once every year.  The first time after I had pruned it, Laura drove up shocked to find that the bush had been pruned down to a mere stump with a few fully pruned branches
sticking out of it.  She was horrified and absolutely convinced that I had killed
the bush. The fact that the rose bush was a planting from her grandmother's famous rose bush didn't help ease her mind when she saw it cut down to the ground. 

 

I must admit that it looked ugly. In fact, if I were totally honest, the bush was pathetic looking.  I was concerned that I had over-pruned it.  I
tried to convince Laura (and myself) that it would be fine, but she struggled to believe my advice.  How could it possibly grow back when it had been pruned to a
mere stump? Sure enough though, in a few months, the rose bush grew back in fullness.
The resulting roses were rich and luscious-absolutely stunning-and many remarked on their
beauty.

Jesus said that
every branch IN HIM (abiding in Him) that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more
fruit (see John 15:2).  It is good to invite the Lord to prune us when needed in
order to bear more fruit.  Pruning often deals with alignments to His purposes
for a particular season.  He calls for fresh consecration, sometimes
downsizing and streamlining.  We downsize and streamline not out of fear but in
faith and obedience, knowing that the pruning does not decrease us in
fruitfulness, but ultimately brings great increase and oftentimes invites us to
engage in new assignments.

 

Increase comes through pruning seasons in our lives.  So, do not be surprised when alignment = pruning comes in 2010.  No, the process is not fun, but the resulting fruit is very healthy.