Jesus only did what he saw the Father doing. The natural tendency of those who love God is to “do” . . . . anything for the Lord. People tend to believe that as long as they are busy doing something for the Kingdom, they are fruitful. “Doing” alone does not provide “fruit that will last”. Listening to his voice and learning from the Father is key.
Your focus should not be on what you do, or what you plan on doing. Your focus should be on the Father, learning from him, and Him alone. Why? Because as you focus on Him, your heart becomes like the heart of the Father. You become what you think about. When your heart becomes like His, you will naturally produce fruit, “fruit that will last”, in the same way that Jesus produced lasting fruit . . . even to this day. Why? Because His focus is on the Father. If you want to produce fruit, focus on the Father . . . Jesus still does.
How does one “focus” on the Father?
What does that look like? In everything that Jesus did, he had his Father in mind. Every action. Every spoken word. Every decision. Every thought. The only way that he could maintain such focus, was to listen to the Father at all times. The life that the Father calls us to requires a listening heart, one that is attentive to his voice. The more time spent listening, the more tuned into his heart we become. In John 12:49-50, we read where Jesus said:
“For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”
Learning From the Father
Jesus was constantly listening to hear what the Father would say, and he only responded to the Father’s heart, in every thought, in every decision, in what he said, and in what he did.
How do you focus on the Father? Listen to the Father. I’m not talking about passive listening, but listening with intensity . . . with purpose. Stop talking, and listen. His focus is on the Father. It is this intimate relationship that we are called to. When you make it your practice to listen to the Father, and respond when he speaks, you will naturally produce fruit, . . . just like Jesus.