He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.  John 15:2

We incorporate rhythms into our life for foundational, economic, spiritual, and personal growth. For example, if part of your daily rhythm is to go to work, it is for financial means and perhaps personal growth. But what happens when you begin to notice an area of your life that isn’t being fulfilled? Do you look to find meaning or activity to fill that void? Unfortunately, for many of us busy people, we have filled our schedules so full that we can’t find the space to do the things that truly nurture our souls.

The scripture above doesn’t say to eliminate the things that bring fruit into our lives but that the very part of us that is enriched needs to be pruned to be nourished. First, consider where in your life there is a branch that bears no fruit. Is it too much time on social media, binge-watching, gossiping, or resistance to trying something new? Second, consider a branch in your life with meaning but hasn’t been appropriately nurtured because of the dead branch. How can you prune the good, fruitful branch so that it is nurtured and then flourishes even more in your life?

We are all part of God’s grand garden, and He will delight in seeing the nurturing taking place.

The new series Pruning & Nurturing will be shared over the next several weeks, with various voices sharing their experiences and working on pruning and nurturing. We invite you to consider the questions above, and if you want to share your story, please share it with us. We are all part of God’s grand garden, and He will delight in seeing the nurturing taking place.