They say that seven is the number of perfection, but in this case, I wish it weren’t so. I’d be happy to stop with the six elements of effective disciple-making that we’ve covered so far: Life (the tree); Relationship (the soil); Community (the orchard); Obedience (the fruit); the Gospel (the seed); and the Word & Spirit (the DNA). Disciple-making that learns to mix these elements well will be fruitful, but not nearly as fruitful as when we add the seventh element, one I’d prefer to avoid.

Jesus was not simply interested in some fruit. He wanted “more fruit” and “much fruit” (John 15). More fruit sounds great, but how we get it is the troubling part: Jesus said it’s by pruning. “Every branch that bears fruit, He prunes so that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:2).

This seventh element, pruning, is essential to the growth process. Pruning is growth by subtraction; it does not make sense that the best way to get more and better fruit is to cut away most of the plant. But if you don’t do it, you will sacrifice what could be great for something mediocre.

Suffering, like pruning, is gain through pain. Something so apparently negative has great potential for accelerating growth. Jesus clearly said that following Him would mean hardship — “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). Then, of all things, He tells us to be cheerful! In another place, He recommends that we “jump for joy” when we suffer for doing right (Matthew 5:12). His brother James seemed to believe the same thing, for he wrote “Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials” (James 1:2). Why? Because of the fruit it produces in us.

Pain is to a disciple’s growth what pruning is to the development of fruit on a tree. In discipleship, pain is the pruning process, and God’s truth applied to the situation is the pruning shears. But there’s a critical third element: someone must be holding the pruning shears. That someone is Jesus poured through the disciple-maker.

Pain alone can produce bitterness, but when pain and truth are processed in the context of a loving relationship between disciple and disciple-maker, the result can be phenomenal. Simply put, to shape life, we must share life. Pain, plus truth, plus relationship, equals much fruit.

Don’t forget — pain alone does not produce growth. Snipping off branches any old place would be hurtful to the tree, but in the hands of a competent gardener, pruning is just what the tree needs to flourish.

Perhaps more than anyone I know, my friend Pete has modeled the fruit-bearing power of pain. When he was just 47 years old, doctors diagnosed Pete with Parkinson’s disease. The disease has not been kind to Pete. Tremors, weakness and pain have become his daily companions. Yet Pete is a glorious man to be around — gracious, optimistic, gentle and bursting with life. He has proven the words of the apostle Paul who said, “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day … our troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:16-17).

Most days you’d never know Pete had a care in the world, even though he does. I asked him recently what he’s learned through pain. He said, “Pain increases our appetite and our capacity to enjoy heaven’s glory.” Maybe he doesn’t have a care in the world because his hope is somewhere else. And from what I’ve observed, that’s a rare and precious fruit.

View the full blog series, watch the video and download The Discipling Tree infographic.

Dale Losch joined Crossworld as a disciple-maker in France in 1988, and has served as Crossworld’s president since 2009. He loves to motivate people to use their God-given passions to make disciples wherever life happens. Hear more from Dale.