Anybody can serve someone else. Why are some servants more effective than others? What is it that produces real fruit, fruit that will last?
The Presence of God is the only thing that will have a lasting impact on the lives of people. He changes lives. You can do nothing on your own. Only when you partner with Him, will your act of service have lasting impact. Only then will you see fruit that will last. This fruit comes from His power working through you, touching hearts in ways that last forever.
Why Partner with Jesus?
Partnering with Jesus means serving with His heart. John 15:5 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” When you stay close to Jesus, His love flows through your actions, making your acts of service exponentially powerful.
Man’s first inclination is to work harder, and if that doesn’t work, he then tries to work smarter. People have relied on these two methods forever. The problem with this approach is that it relies entirely on what man can do, leaving God out of the equation. Man plus anything but God, brings about temporary change at best.
Partnering With Jesus
Looking to make a permanent difference in the lives of others, Paul saw himself as a “fellow worker with Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:9). In other words, he did not rely solely on his talents or strengths, but rather he and Christ worked together as he served (See Mark 16:20; 2 Corinthians 6:1).
Note that this does not give excuse for us to become slacker-servants. The point is to partner with Jesus in service, that there might be a power of God, so that their faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God (2 Corinthians 2:1-5). This partnership lets His love shine through you, touching lives in ways that human effort alone cannot.
Partnering with God in service leads people to place their faith in God (See Romans 2:4).
Fruit That Will Last
If you just focus on the act of serving and neglect the Presence, the impact will be no greater than that of the non-believers who feed the poor. Again, temporary at best.
In John 4, when Jesus spoke with the woman at the well, how did Jesus produce fruit that would last?
“Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. Whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well, of water springing up in him for eternal life” (John 4:13-14).
Jesus was partnering with the Father. You too, can make the same claim. The water Jesus offered came from the Father. That same water is available for you to offer as well.
To have an impact for God’s ways, you must focus on living in the Presence of God. That way, when you serve His Presence to others, the power of co-laboring with Christ will touch the soul of the one being served, which will birth fruit that will last. As you serve, He touches the heart. In other words, when you serve His Presence to others, it paves the way for the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of those you are serving.
What happened to the woman Jesus served living water to? Many Samaritans believed in Him because of the woman’s words and Jesus’ presence, recognizing Him as the Savior (John 4:39-42).
Having partnered with the Father, Jesus ministered to the soul of this woman by offering her living water. The fruit of his partnership resulted in many from that town who placed their faith in Jesus.
I encourage you to partner with Jesus as you serve the love of the Father to others. This is what you are called to. This is what Jesus calls you to. He wants to partner with you as you serve.
Serving with Lasting Fruit
How do you serve with lasting fruit? Keep your heart close to Jesus, listening and responding to the voice of the Father. Serve others with kindness, like sharing a meal with someone in need. This partnership with Him is how you produce fruit that will last.