PRUNING 2016

It's been a very long year. I think that sentiment is shared, if I may speak for others, by many. I feel more physically exhausted and spiritually drained this year than I ever have. I have an inkling as to why.... I was leaning on my own strengths and understanding more than I was leaning on God. I lost sight of the fact that I could bring my burdens to Him. That He had the ability to carry them for me so my heart wouldn't be so heavy.

I knew He was there, and yet there I went all through 2016 dragging with me all of these weights. The weight of Unforgiveness, Stress, Worry, Discontentment, Anxiety, etc. You name it, and I carried it. I allowed all of these things to hinder my potential and spiritually cripple me. There was no growth because I refused to let go of anything.

You cannot grow when you refuse to let go.

When a gardener needs something to grow better, he uses this technique called Pruning. The definition of Pruning is this: "To trim (a tree, shrub, or bush) by cutting away dead or overgrown branches or stems, especially to increase fruitfulness and growth" Another definition says: "to reduce the extent of (something) by removing superfluous or unwanted parts".

I don't know about you, but I could use a bit of Pruning. An increase in fruitfulness and growth? Yes please. It's time to let go of that dead weight. It's time to reduce the extent of the damage done to you in 2016 by removing the unwanted parts. Are you with me?

Let's go into this New Year not just with resolutions but with Revelations of who we are in Christ. Let's go into 2017 freshly pruned of any and all things that can hinder us on our Spiritual journey with God. No more dragging anything with us that is not Good and that is not of God. If it's not "true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy, (Philippians 4:8) then it has to go. Prune it and move forward into the abundant fruitfulness of life and Spiritual growth. Step into All things new.

"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Sending Blessings and Love to you on the eve of this New Year. Shalom.

- Brianna Carey ©