Multiplication

The first Spring after we moved into our current house, we had lots of bluebell foliage but only 2 flowers.  It was a disappointment that there were so many blind plants.  This year however I can’t get over how many flowers there are.  We have clumps of them filled with multiple flowers.

Recently we have been thinking about multiplication compared to addition on this missionary journey.  For example, 1+1=2 but 1×1=1, 2+2 and 2×2=4, then 3+3=6 but 3×3=9.  Multiplication is slower than addition at first, but when you persist further down the table multiplication gains more ground and leads to exponential growth.  Currently, we’re at the 1×1=1 stage and to be honest I find it a bit tedious waiting to see results.  However, looking at my garden right now I can see the benefits of waiting.  Isn’t it amazing that God is so gracious to show me visually what I’m struggling with on paper.  To help me get a better understanding of this I asked my son-in-law who is a maths teacher.  He broke it down to even smaller units.  For example, 1.1×1.1=1.21, 1.2×1.2=1.44.  That helped me see that even smaller increments of growth are possible. 

In my experience it can be really discouraging sowing seeds and planting truths yet not seeing any growth.  I think that is possibly because I’m looking for the whole plant, not for smaller increments giving signs of life.  All seeds have got to go through the process of germination where in the right conditions they become seedlings.  Taking time to grow healthy roots and strong shoots.  This process takes place out of sight in the depths of the soil.  If I had pulled up all those blind plants that first year, I’d have missed out on the beauty and fragrance that are on display this year.  It is easy to move on or give up when no growth is seen.  But Hebrews 11:1 and 2 Corinthians 4:18 reminds us faith is cultivated in the unseen.  It is in the unseen where the growth begins.  I have found Galatians 6:9 an encouragement: ‘Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.’

Walking by faith and living on mission aren’t straightforward.  Like the seedling it needs the right conditions to produce fruit.  We don’t simply want 6 people to add 6 disciples resulting in a total of 12.  We are aiming to create the right conditions for multiplication when people become disciple-makers who reproduce multiple disciple-makers.  We need 6 disciple-makers to make 6 more disciple-makers, who in turn make 6 more: 6x6x6=216.  It’s a culture of multiplication that will see cities transformed.  But there is also one more condition for creating a culture of multiplication, we must all realise that we are all called to go.  We must all be willing and available to become disciple-makers who in turn become disciple-maker (Matthew 28:18-20).

Featured photo by Enric Moreu on Unsplash