Way towards God

The “If only” trap

“Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant.” Ecc 11:4 NLT



Author Betty Mahalik says in this day and age we’re surrounded by messages that scream, “My life would be perfect if only I’d a different job…house…car…nose…spouse…bank account (you fill in the blank). Or if I could be like some celebrity whose life appears well ordered and perfect. Well this week I stopped playing ‘my life would be perfect if,’ and started playing ‘my perfect life.’ What’s the difference? Three things: (1) Being in the present; (2) An attitude of gratitude; (3) Taking action with what’s available now…When we’re caught up in the ‘my life would be perfect if’ trap, we lose touch with the present and can no longer practice gratitude. Think about it: it’s difficult to be grateful for what you don’t have…and what you don’t have is always somewhere in ‘future-ville.’ Look around you…do you have a roof over your head and food to eat? A few good friends or close relationships? Then appreciate them…You’re probably sitting there thinking ‘Yes, but I want more money, a better relationship, more time to travel, to be thinner, happier, or whatever’…stop focusing on what you lack and start focusing on what you’ve already got.” The Bible says, “Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.” If you demand perfection-or-nothing, you’ll keep ending up with nothing. The fact that “God…made us what we are” (Eph 2:10 TLB), means while our best is always commendable, none of us will attain perfection this side of heaven. And that’s okay, because Christ has clothed us in His righteousness and made us “complete in him” (Col 2:10).

How to be fruitful (5)

“He prunes those branches that bear fruit for even larger crops.” Jn 15:2 TLB



You must submit to the pruning process. “He prunes those branches that bear fruit for even larger crops.” Pruning entails cutting off dead branches and cutting back living branches. Both are necessary to shape the tree and stimulate growth. Professional pruners will tell you that most people are too hesitant when it comes to pruning. But God is not. He not only cuts off that which is sinful and superficial, He cuts back that which is alive and successful; a business that’s doing great, a satisfying relationship, or a plan that seems to be working well. God doesn’t just cut off the “bad,” but the “good,” in order to give you the “best.” It’s not pleasant, but it’s absolutely essential for spiritual growth. What does God want in your life? “Much fruit” (Jn 15:8). So, you are going to be pruned! You may be undergoing pruning right now, and it may not all be deadwood. God cuts off things we view as productive so that more fruit may be produced in our lives. This can be perplexing. We believe we’re being faithful, so we are puzzled, even frustrated, by His pruning. “Why are you doing this, God? I have given my business to you, but it’s unprofitable. I have committed my health to you, now I’m in the hospital. I’ve been tithing faithfully, yet I’m going bankrupt.” What’s happening? “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Heb 12:11 NIV). You’re being pruned for greater fruitfulness.