By Nati de Kock

This is the third and final article in the series. It is continued from From Chronos to Kairos Moment

On this season of Pruning, two kinds of pruning happen; early pruning and mature pruning.

• Early Pruning.

Early pruning is about your outward activities and priorities. Here pruning is about ‘SELF,” that is, to be laid down or die. It is about my own selfish rights and attitude. Wrong priorities and immature involves causes dead wood. This has to be taken out! Thinking especially in marriage, you will see your own selfishness.

God uses circumstance to frustrate us by causing things not to work. In this time of pruning we must be careful of anger, bitterness and distrust (unbelief) in God and even people because we can want to hurt people due to our resistance to change.

All the dead wood in our live keep us from bearing fruit. So the Father prunes us to cut all dead unnecessary stuff in our lives away.

• Mature Pruning.

This part of pruning is about the test of your faith. It is testing your values and your personal identity. Will you compromise the Word? The goal is to bring you closer to the perfect and complete image of Christ. Remember the mirror image of salvation garden.

In this pruning season you will be pruned to the very core of your being. This is the testing of your faith and Christian maturity into the very core of your being.

This is the cutting away of anything that hinders the growth and spiritual power and productivity. This pruning process pushes you beyond any previous tests, otherwise it’s not mature pruning.

This is different from every person and different levels. But this is the season I am in and all I know it is extremely painful, like the lobster.

So what did God test in me that pushed me beyond my last test:

1. My faith and faith in the Word, that is His promise.
2. My self-confidence and ego.
3. My identity (who am I after being with Tertius for 38 years).
4. Wrestled with feelings of injustice.
5. It was difficult to go to church because I did not want to confront all the above.

So you see everything was cut away; my husband, my work, and my church. I was like the lobster without his shell.

Every person has his own journey. Just know that God did not let Tertius die to punish me but He used the circumstance to change my life.

You see in this season of pruning God tests four key areas in our lives;

1. Your love ones – Are they more important than God? He will not let them die but He will test you.
2. Your love for money and material things.
3. The thing that gives you purpose and identity in life. For example your job, your position or ministry.
4. You have to give up the right to ask questions; why or how long because we naturally want to be in control and answers put us in control. God will not give you the answers because he wants you to trust Him.

This was my test.

Be careful not to get out of the boat like Peter if you do not understand. Remember that the fruit comes from dwelling in Him (verse 7).

Even Jesus asked in the garden of Gethsemane if the test could pass Him by. However he settled for the will of God.

Conclusion

Here is how God uses the hardships you are facing;

• They are a catalyst to make us pure.
• They are training sessions.
• They are refining and get rid of the baggage.

Abide in him. Stay and dwell in Him, not visit Him. This is the place to get fed, only in Him. This is the place you grow. If you stay in Him, it helps you to go through the different phases. You do not work but rest in Him.

Just remember that you will be tested.

About Nati de Kock

Nati de Kock is the widow of the late pastor Tertius, who was a senior pastor of Hatfield Christian Church, Pretoria. Together they fought battles with cancer twice. She is a qualified teacher and has travel around the world in several countries including Russia.