Multiply

And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” – Gen. 1:22

“Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” – Gen. 1:28

The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” – Matthew 13:31

What does the principle of multiplication have to do with business? How can we as entrepreneurs multiply our businesses?

Our God loves to multiply things. In fact, it is a mark of His blessing on us when He does so. The entire creation story rests on the ability to multiply. When God creates things, His intent is that they will grow and expand. The same principle applies to us as His sons and daughters. Remember the story of Abraham? God promised to multiply his descendants as the “stars of heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore.” God’s heart is for Kingdom growth and multiplication, and as believers in Jesus, we have access to that blessing.

He is also a God who uses small beginnings. Jesus talks about the mustard seed – the smallest of the all seeds- and compares that to the Kingdom of God. The things that are God’s workmanship start out as insignificant and puny – like the King of the universe being born to a poor family in a manger – but they grow into people, organizations, communities, and networks that are full of life and exist as expressions of God’s glory. They are also blessings to the people around them , “so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

Where is your business at today? Have you been sown into the earth, and your focus right now is on taking in the nutrients you need, growing roots and pushing through the soil in order to get to light? Have you broken through the soil and are now steadily growing upward? Are you branching outward, reaching more customers and clients at an increasing pace? Wherever you are in your business journey, fix your eyes on the One who has a heart to multiply and bless, and ask Him to help your growth.

When a business multiplies, there is an increase of profitability as the business scales. It is a multiplication process not very different from the discipleship model that we see in 2 Timothy 2:2. When we multiply, we efficiently expand what we are doing so that we can produce more goods and/or services to serve more customers with excellence. Being fruitful is the first step, and multiplication is the next.

If your business has proven itself profitable, it may be time to move into the multiplication stage. Consider:

• Fruitfulness without multiplication can lead to stagnation.
• In business, multiplication can occur in the form of opening regional, national, or international offices, franchising, or licensing. Think about what multiplication mechanism works the best for you.
• To effectively multiply, we must make sure we are profitable. If we move towards multiplication without demonstrating sustainable profitability, we may experience premature death.
• Without good systems and processes in place, it is almost impossible to multiply effectively. God is not the God of confusion, and as entrepreneurs, we must take organization seriously as we grow and expand. A good foundation of organization and smooth internal communication must first be laid, followed by a well-defined infrastructure of systems and processes to enable growth and expansion.
• When multiplying, make sure to focus your entrepreneurial energy on vision, strategy, systems and people, not on making widgets.

My prayer for you today is that you would come to know God’s heart for multiplication and expansion, and that you would partner with Him, realizing multiplication in your life and in your business in His timing.