To Gain We Must First Lose: Michael Stubblefield
“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
Ever since last summer, this verse makes more sense now than it did before. Everybody knows that in order for God to work in your life, he will do things that we may not understand at the time but soon will realize it was necessary for us to grow in Christ.
First, I want to take a trip down memory lane to a couple of days that just felt the worst. It was March 13, 2020, and my school, along with numerous other schools, announced that school would be closed down until further notice because of the COVID-19 virus. In my head, I am excited because my final basketball season is over with and I finally get to hang out with my girlfriend. Fast forward a couple days, and I get a call saying she cheated on me, and I had never felt my heart drop so hard in an instant. I immediately turned to my Bible, which had not been open in almost a month, and began to pray and read. I began to ask God, why does this happen to people who are “good?” Then, a revelation hit my mind that only God is good, and we can do nothing without him, for “the flesh is weak, but the spirit is willing.”
Still, because I am human, I entered a state of depression for the next 5 months. I did not eat, I hated going out, and I rarely left my room. But one thing I had on my side was God, family, and three important friends. As the days went on, I began to read more of my Bible and began to pray more. I could sense a change of direction in my life, but I could also see that some people I used to talk to, I did not talk to anymore, and I could not understand how I just did not communicate with them anymore. Then, one day as I was reading the book of John chapter 15, I stumbled upon this verse: “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.” Immediately it started to click with me that everything that happens in my life, God does for a reason to keep you on His narrow path to Heaven, for few find His path. He brought people out of my life who weren’t beneficial for my walk with Christ, and He brought me closer to those who would help me. One friend in particular would talk to me until two in the morning just to talk to me and talk about God.
Believers in Christ, it is important to remember that God works in mysterious ways, and at moments we may not understand what He is doing, but we soon realize that everything He does is for our benefit. When faced with moments of depression, I can always relate to this verse: “‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver and honor him.’” (Psalm 91:14-15). It is important for us to keep our focus on God and continually to strive for his love, even in the times we may feel hopeless. For when we call on the name of Jesus, He always delivers!
Body of Christ, it is important for us to remember that God is bigger and stronger than anything we may ever encounter, for He wants to take the burden off of us. He wants to purge us of the bad in our life and feed our soul with only what is good from God. God loves us and will never leave us, so we should treat him the same even when our situations may seem grim. May the grace and peace of our Father in Heaven be with you. Amen!
Mike Stubblefield is a freshman engineering major at Louisiana Tech. Since he started attending the Wesley, we have had the privilege to get to know Mike as a faithful servant of Christ, and if you see him, chances are he’ll be sporting a clean fit!