God’s Favorite Math Problem: Multiplication

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When it comes to math, I’ll admit, I’m more of a words girl. In fact, when my kids asked me for help with fractions, I often pointed them to their dad. But as I’ve read Scripture, I’ve noticed something powerful: God has a favorite math problem. He loves multiplication.

From the very beginning, God blessed Adam and Eve and told them,

“Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it.” (Genesis 1:28, NLT) 

Multiplication wasn’t just about numbers—it was about influence. About His image filling the earth.

And the theme continues. Jesus didn’t say, “Go and add a few friends to the kingdom.” He said, “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). That’s multiplication! Not just one or two followers here and there—but a movement that ripples across generations.

The Cost of Multiplication

Here’s the part we sometimes forget: multiplication requires surrender.

• “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24, NIV)
• “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23, NLT)
  

When John and I stepped into adoption, I thought we were adding children to our family. But God showed me—we were stepping into His multiplication. The cost was real: our time, our comfort, our energy. Yet God multiplied our little “yes” into a bigger story of love, grace, and redemption.

Multiplication is costly because it demands our whole selves. But it’s also where we see God work most powerfully.

Multiplication begins when we stop living for addition in our own lives and start living for multiplication in God’s kingdom.

The Reward of Multiplication

The beauty of God’s math is that the reward far outweighs the cost.

• One boy gave up his small lunch, and Jesus multiplied it to feed thousands (John 6:9–11).
  
• Eleven ordinary disciples gave up their lives, and the gospel spread to the ends of the earth (Acts 17:6).
  
• You and I say “yes” to discipling our children, encouraging a friend, or serving faithfully in our church—and the ripple effects reach further than we can imagine.
  

I’ve seen this in my writing ministry. I sit at my desk and type words, wondering if they matter. Then an email arrives from a mom across the world who says, “This spoke to my heart today.” That’s not addition—that’s God’s multiplication. When we give God our little, He multiplies it into much.

Living the Equation

Multiplication isn’t a formula to figure out. It’s a lifestyle to live. It means:

• Saying “yes” when God calls you to mentor, serve, or share your story.
  
• Planting seeds of faith in your children, even when you don’t see immediate growth (Galatians 6:9).
  
• Choosing to follow Jesus with devotion, knowing He will take your obedience and multiply it beyond your lifetime (Ephesians 3:20).
  

Max Lucado puts it this way: “God never said the journey would be easy, but He did say the arrival would be worthwhile.” The cost? Everything. The reward? Eternity.

Jesus – All In

Jesus is all in for us. He didn’t hold anything back. He gave His life so that we might live—not just for ourselves, but as part of His multiplying kingdom. What we surrender may feel small—like a seed planted in hidden soil—but in His hands, nothing is wasted.

Your small yes today may be the spark that sets off generations of faith. Don’t underestimate what God can multiply.

Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life are you tempted to seek addition (comfort, ease, control) instead of multiplication for God’s kingdom?
   
2. What “small lunch” (time, gift, resource) might God be asking you to place in His hands?
   
3. How has someone else’s “yes” multiplied faith in your life?
   
4. What’s one “yes” you can give God today that may ripple into eternity?
   

Takeaway

Don’t settle for addition. Live for multiplication. Your obedience is the seed. God’s kingdom is the harvest. Eternity is the reward.

A Prayer

Lord, I give You my life—every part of it. Take my little and multiply it for Your kingdom. Help me not to settle for addition when You are calling me to multiplication. Teach me to live fully devoted to You, trusting that the cost is worth it because the reward is eternal. Amen.

Additional Resources

Here’s a free printable to go along with today’s blog post!

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