The Math of the Kingdom

2 Timothy 2:1-2 – You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.

The math of the kingdom of God is multiplication, not addition.  This is why Paul always has assistants that he is mentoring.  Timothy is one of them.  Notice what Paul is seeking to teach Timothy – not just to absorb the teaching from Paul, but to teach it to others – not just to teach it to others, but to teach others to teach others.  Paul is always thinking two generations of disciples ahead.  He is an apostle aimed at raising up other apostles who raise up other apostles ad infinitum. 

This follows the biology of the world God created.  Cells multiply instead of getting bigger and bigger.  Families beget more families. Apple trees create more apple trees.   My hope is not just that my children are Christians, but that my children and great-grandchildren are Christians.  When I teach, I’m always looking for someone who might replace me as I go to teach something else.  Multiplication is how God’s kingdom grows.  It’s the difference between modest growth and exponential growth. 

The difficulty is that addition is easier.  I find it much easier and less time-consuming to just do work instead of teaching someone to do it, much less teach someone to teach others to do the work.  It’s easy to feel done with my job of raising children as they leave the nest than it is to now shift to help them to do for others what I and their mother did for them.  Frankly, it’s much easier to just do the work of ministry than to equip others to do in a way that equips others.  Remembering that production is not the goal, but reproduction is hard work. 

In the end, though, it is way more effective and satisfying.  One of my favorite things to see and think about is people that I’ve invested in now investing in others, people I’ve taught now teaching others, and families I’ve impacted now impacting other families.  I love watching my kids investing in other kids using knowledge gained by being parented by her mother and me.  I love mentoring new pastors and then, later seeing them do things I haven’t done.  This leads to our questions for the day.

Questions:  What are contributions you make to your family, your church, and in your workplace? What have you learned that you wish everyone knew?  What skills do you have that you could teach someone else?  How are you working to reproduce your faith in others?

Prayer:  Lord, help us see how we can participate in your kingdom math of multiplication – the specific ways we can invest in, teach, and reproduce in others the blessings you have reproduced in us through others.  Amen.

Prayer Focus:  Pray for students and teachers that are beginning a new year of learning and growth.

Song:  Needtobreathe – Everknown