Pruning as a Spiritual Practice: Fruitful & Freeing

Sometimes the “list of vices” in passages like Galatians 5 or the dichotomy of “flesh” versus “spirit” can turn us off from religion and keep us from the very freedom of spiritual living that Paul proclaims, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There is always more to the story, and sometimes it means pruning our viewpoints on scripture to get to a freer and fuller understanding—an understanding that will help us cultivate the growth of the Fruit of the Spirit, rather than hinder it.