I Thought I Was Free, Until God Pruned Me

When I first started this path to ministry, I truly believed I was free. I had made changes, walked away from certain things, and thought that was enough. But God, in His love, showed me that freedom is deeper than what you leave behind, it’s also about what you’re still holding onto. He began to prune areas of my life I didn’t even realize were still attached to me. It was uncomfortable and sometimes painful, but necessary. God wasn’t punishing me; He was preparing me. He was removing what could no longer go where He was taking me.

Fear tried to convince me it still had a hold on me. It whispered that I wasn’t ready, that my past disqualified me, and that I should stay silent. Shame and doubt followed closely, reminding me of every mistake I had ever made. But in the name of Jesus, fear had to go. Shame had to release me. Doubt could not stop what God had already ordained. I realized that I was not underqualified or behind, I am overqualified because God knew exactly what He was calling me to long before I was ever formed in my mother’s womb. Nothing in my story caught Him off guard.

I praise God differently because I know what He delivered me from. He saved me from alcoholism, marijuana, fornication, promiscuity, and being demonized. He pulled me out of darkness I didn’t think I would escape. There were moments of disobedience and seasons where I should have been counted out, but God never gave up on me. He literally picked me up, dusted me off, healed what was broken, and still chose to use me despite my mess. Not because I was perfect, but because I was willing to surrender.

If you think you’ve gone too far, waited too long, or messed up too much, let this be your reminder: it is not too late to get it right this time. God is not intimidated by your past or confused by your process. If He could prune me, restore me, and still call me forward, He can do the same for you. Every pruning season carries the promise of new fruit, and every act of obedience opens the door to purpose.