“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” (John 15:1,2)
God uses the deepest trials to deepen our abiding in Him. He uses the sorest temptations to drive us to Him. He uses the hottest fires to reduce us to ashes. From the confession that we have nothing, are nothing, and can do nothing apart from the Son, the Father gives us beauty for our ashes. He brings forth fruits of Christ’s righteousness that could not and would not be known in our life had He not painfully purged us.
Given a choice, we would never choose the pain of fire; we would not pick up a cross. The Father is our Husbandman. He is not impressed by the glory we think we display for Him. He is only interested in us showing forth His true glory. For Him to highly exalt us He must first bring us to where we are very low in our own sight.
Don’t be afraid to decrease. When you are at zero, Christ will be all in you.