Pruning Hurts

Pruning..

Oh boy..

This is something that I'm experiencing now, and I can say with FULL assurance that when you ask God to show you things to change for Him, He will!

Without any hesitation, He will show you straight away and in a way that it cannot be covered up or even justified. 

The funniest thing about this is when God is showing you all these things that He wants you to change, and things you need to cut out,etc the tendency usually is for our focus to go on all the things we need to change!

"No God really? why?"

Or

"Its not that bad! Surely not!"

Or

"How can I change that? Its so hard, no this is going to take some time because you know.. its so hard!"

Or the worst:

"Sorry I can't do that.."

Always things like this, but hardly ever:

 "Oh wow, that's what I need to change? Amen, thank you so much for showing me and giving me the chance to change this about myself my God, thank you!"

This is the reaction we should have to things we don't want to hear about ourselves, but obviously we are human and our natural reaction is to defend, but it doesn't mean that we can't change this!

I'll never forget something that I was told by my Big Sister in Sisterhood (who by the way is SUCH an example for me! ) : "It is not your initial reaction that matters, its the way you react after that counts and shows who you are". Meaning, you can be speaking to a friend and they might say, "Aneeka you always have to have the last word!" and I'm like "NOOO I don't! Please!" but I do! And at the time I'm thinking that I don't, but when I stop and really think about it I look at things in her eyes, and realise that she's right and I change, or at the least acknowledge what she said, its showing that I do want to change. But if at that moment when she says that to me and I say nothing but inside think that she's so wrong and don't even try to see things in her eyes, or say No like I did before and still don't think about it after it just shows that I don't really want to be pruned.

God will say the things that we don't want to hear, sometimes things we are not even expecting but if we make that sincere prayer and say to God we are willing to change then He will speak. Those that are willing, will work on it and change, those that are not..

The process of being pruned is hard, but the fruits at the end make it all worth it, and for those that are with God know that its not just a one off! Its something we go through to be better tools in His hands :)