The sooner we settle the issue of how desperately we need God, the better!
Jesus once said …
I assure you that the Son can’t do anything by himself except what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. … I can’t do anything by myself.” (John 5.19, 30)
Later, Jesus added …
I do nothing on my own, but I say just what the Father has taught me. (John 8.28)
Because of his dependence on God, Jesus stayed in close contact with God. In Luke 5.16, we’re given a key insight into the life and ministry of Jesus …
Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. (NLT)
Jesus is our model for a person who stays connected to God. If Jesus, the Son of God, clearly demonstrated dependence on God, how much more do we followers of Jesus!
It’s not simply that we can’t do anything without God. Rather, we can do nothing of eternal significance without God! To bear fruit that lasts, we must stay connected to God. The good news is, if we stay connected to God, we will produce “much fruit” (John 15.5).
I once wrote about a statement by Dr. Stephen Seamands that continues to guide my thinking about ministry, eight years after I first learned it …
I have entered into the ministry of Jesus, to the Father, through the Holy Spirit, on behalf of the world.
This is a great reminder that it’s not about us. We participate in the ministry of Jesus, for God’s honor, and we do it in the power of the Holy Spirit, for the sake of the world!
Have you declared your dependence on God?