Christian Bible Lesson 25: Pruning your life makes life better

Bible Verse

“He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.” — John 15:2

Christian Bible Lesson Overview

It is important to manage how we spend our time.  Of course, we need some time for entertainment and relaxation, but if we wish to grow our lives and accomplish desired objectives, we must plan specific activities, and possibly reduce activities that are harmful or distract from reaching our goals. Worship and Prayer are a major part of my plan.

Christian Bible Lesson for Today

Some activities such as watching television or taking naps are not necessarily harmful, but in excess, those activities take the time that is required to accomplish desired goals.  Some activities do more harm than prevent completing other tasks, and they are destructive.  Examples of destructive behavior include overeating, eating the wrong food, committing sins such as spending time with the wrong people, engaging in risky activities, and saying or doing things that hurt others.

I am very guilty of not following this Christian Lesson.  I found the best approach to keeping my growth on track is to plan daily for the next day and track the completed activities.  I mentioned this approach in earlier Blog Articles.  I found it is the only way to ensure I have a balance of growth and accomplishment activities with entertainment and relaxation.

I divide my daily plan into major categories.  In my case, the categories include prayer and meditation, work, diet, housework, contacting friends and relatives, and my daily journal.

During prayer and meditation, I plan to mention specific people and to request specific help.  I also make a list to include in my appreciation for God’s help.

In my work category, I include planned phone calls, documents, planning, meetings, and any specific tasks.  I make sure that I document any commitments to customers, such as follow-up phone calls or email messages.  Sometimes I need to test software or do research to help a customer. 

I use my Outlook Calendar to list friends and family with contact frequency.  An example is to call a friend weekly.  The calendar will automatically create appointments every week.

Avoiding Negative Activities

In addition to the plan, I make a note of activities to avoid, such as eating sweets and overeating.  It is important not to engage in projects that require too much time for the benefits gained.

Another important priority for me is not to engage in relationships that are not healthy for me.  Some activities such as helping people in need, may not seem healthy, but the benefit of helping someone else compensates for the required time or resources.  It is important for me not to engage in activities that harm other people.  An example of activities that hurt other people is when someone takes advantage of me or hurts me in some way, and I retaliate.  Every time I do react negatively to an attack from someone else, the result is more pain for the other person and me.  I must evaluate any negative actions toward other people.  If the purpose of the negative action is to prevent harm to another person, the negative action may be the right decision.  If the negative action is to retaliate, it is not appropriate and will divert from the time required to complete positive activities.

Christian Bible Lesson Summary

I found that when I focus on completing positive actions and avoid activities that I know will result in harm to others or me, I am much happier over time.  The time it takes to plan and avoid destructive behavior generates sustained growth.