Math was never my favorite subject in school - with exception to Geometry because it seemed to have more real-life applications. 

With that said, at some point in my walk with Christ, I realized that math is absolutely critical in our efforts of expanding the Kingdom of God! No, I don’t mean that we need to know the Pythagorean Theorem or take a course in Calculus. But rather, we have to understand 3 important equations:

1. Jesus + Nothing = Everything

The first equation that we all must first understand is that without Jesus we lack purpose, drive, and mission. We are broken people in need of repair (Romans 3:23). And with Him, we are complete, lacking nothing. He makes us a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). We can’t and shouldn’t add anything to that equation because it won’t be accurate to the truth of the Gospel.

2. Less of Me = More of Him

Second, the more we can submit to Christ in our everyday lives, the less we will see of our own selfish desires (Galatians 5:16). One saying that has always stuck with me is, “We look most like Christ when we serve.” Serving requires us to place others above ourselves and treat them as Christ sees them. It’s only when we give up control of our lives that we begin to experience life abundantly (full of the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control).

3. Multiplication > Addition

Lastly, multiplication is greater, and more effective, than addition. In Matthew 28, right before Jesus ascends to Heaven, He gives the disciples one last command.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:18-20.

Jesus had finished this portion of His ministry and was preparing to leave this earth. He rescued us from sin and death! But now, He is inviting us to join in.

He’s doing so by sharing with us the most effective way to expand the Kingdom of God:

By making disciples. 

Which makes me think, why is that the strategy that He chose? The answer to that question is found in simple mathematics: 

Multiplication > Addition

 Just think about it, if we were intentional with the people we evangelize to by making sure they were being discipled, how much more effective would that person be in the Kingdom of God? 

Instead of sharing the Gospel and leaving a church recommendation, what if we walked alongside them, baptized them, and taught them about Jesus’s commands to us? What if we helped them become a person who could make disciples themselves? 

Sometimes we overcomplicate what discipleship is and it can scare us (or others) away. In its simplest and purest form, discipleship is reproducing Jesus in others. So that, in turn, they can do the same. Just imagine the kind of impact we could have on the Kingdom of God if we could emphasize the reproduction of Jesus in others rather than ending at the sinner’s prayer. 

I hope that this gives you a new sense of love for Mathematics and the Kingdom of God. If you want to be as effective as possible in the ministry of the Lord, consider why Jesus would give us a final command to make disciples and think about how you can incorporate the reproduction of Jesus in your life. Not so you can boast in your own strength and effectiveness, but instead, so you can boast in the Gospel of Christ and see Him work in the lives of others.