If You’re Not Multiplying, You’re Dying

“Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth”

The modern equivalent of this verse might be to “go viral”. By tapping into the interests of social media, one person is able to capture the attention of thousands to millions of people. But for how long? After the share, and after the potential news story on mainstream media, just like a virus it reaches the end of its lifespan and is “cured” by the waves of other viral media that outcompete for the attention of your “likes”, clicks, and water cooler conversation.

Is this what God’s intention was for us to be fruitful and multiply?

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 

Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 

Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.” (Luke 13:1-8)

Going viral is similar to the seeds that fell on rocky ground. Pops up quickly, but disappears at the same velocity. If that is the case, what would the equivalent of producing a profit of 30-100 times the investment? I find this parable incredible. If you put money into the bank, the growth rate is usually around 5%. According to the parable, these seeds are growing at a rate of 3000-10000%. If you are familiar with the parable of the talents, the master’s slaves are able to double their investment (100-200% growth)

This isn’t a post to tell you to give me your money and invest your seed in my (nonexistent) company, but it is time to consider our expectations when it comes to what we think God is capable of. Perhaps it is more to reconsider what God’s expectation of our faith should be.

Addition or Multiplication?

It appears to me that most people (myself included) have an “addition mentality” when it comes to life. Here we are: slowly accruing more wealth, knowledge, and social influence. But after we pay our bills, data-dump the useless information we “learned” on the internet, and drifted apart from friends we haven’t talked to in ages, it might not seem like we have added much to our lives.

If we put it this way, it’s kind of depressing. But if we stick to this additional mentality, the solutions available to us might be to hope to get a higher paying job, start using a productivity app, watch a little less Netflix, and tag friends in even more memes. More of the same old methods.

This is no way to exit the rat race.

We do the same thing in Christian/religious circles. We might go to church once or twice a week. The Bible might be occasionally read. Prayers are spoken and are then forgotten. It becomes a string of good works that slowly follow one after another, but never seem to amount to much of anything life changing. Some people might be really good at doing a lot of these consistently, but nonetheless do not seem to make an impact on those around them.

This has no resemblance to that of a plant growing to a hundred times its size.

Double or Nothing

What multiplication looks like to me is growth and durability. You’re not bailing water out of a sinking boat. You’re gradually making progress while minimizing any losses. And things don’t fall apart as soon as you stop giving them attention. Everything you’re working on has the potential to be self-sufficient and will continue to serve to make you into the best possible person.

People have children, who will bear their own children. Doctors educate their patients how to improve their own health, and share that with their friends. Christians tell others how to become a follower of Jesus Christ (partly) to create a growing community of people excited about what it means to live meaningful lives for the glory of God.

This is “parable of the talents” level growth. You’re not burying stuff in the ground and letting things rot or decompose. There are no wasted opportunities.

“A hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty…”

I think God has something else in mind here, and it’s what I would like to call the real “multiplication factor”. Turning $10,000 into $20,000 is no small feat, but using only two small fish and five loaves of bread to feed five thousand men is something completely different. The real-life application I believe is the power of a changed life.

When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” (John 6:36-37)

Even Jesus wasn’t satisfied with only feeding a large crowd. That was still only just addition mentality. Jesus offers water that will make you never thirst again. He gives bread that will make you cease to become hungry.

When you realize that you don’t need to spend your time worrying about the mundane aspects of life like eating and drinking, or better yet, the endless foolishness that is our modern entertainment culture, then you can dedicate your time pondering on how you can make an impact on people’s lives.

A Multiplying Life

I’m a student doctor on my way to making medical decisions that will affect the quality of the rest of people’s lives. Educated and correct answers will have a lasting impact on the patient’s health long after I see them. I then hope to be able to educate others so that they can bring that information to their family and friends and not need to come back to me for treatment.

I’m also a follower of Jesus Christ seeking to convince others that life is best lived under the rule and authority of Father God. Your worries and fears can be swept away. Your life can be filled with the power of God to dispense love, show compassion, and encourage diligence beyond your previous ability. Perhaps thirty, sixty, or a hundred times past your personal record.

This isn’t something to be scoffed at.

This is the power of God we are considering right here. This is buying a single lottery ticket and winning the Powerball of $758.7 million dollars. If you’re not worshipping a deity that leaves you inspired to read the Bible with new eyes looking for treasured promises at the end of this post, if you’re not moved to start praying for humanly impossible things, if you’re not encouraged to reduce your consumption of meaningless social media and the so-called American Dream…

Then you’re welcome to return to your equivalent of pre-school arithmetic of “2+2=4”. And then wonder why you’re never going anywhere when you could be doing multiplication, exponents, factorials, and polynomials beyond your wildest dreams.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Cyclebar to Win

(Originally posted on Facebook)

My mantra has long been, “Wherever you are, be all there.” Or, “Bloom where you are planted.” So I’ve practiced that in medical school, my friendships, and now at Cyclebar.

Just as I’ve been pushed to my academic limits in medical school, I’ve been pushed to my own physical limits in these past three months. I’ve burned a total of 90,470 calories (equivalent to 25lbs, i haven’t lost any significant weight…as if I had much to lose anyways.), ridden 3030.0 miles (For perspective, the Tour De France is 2,200 miles), burned as many as 2,721 calories in one day, 47 rides in a single month, reached 100 rides in a record 94 days, helped film a commercial for Cyclebar-Hattiesburg, and adjusted to waking up at 5am for an early morning ride.

…All this from basically zero activity as a sedentary medical student who napped, snacked, and studied all day because I viewed exercise as a waste of efficiency in my well-oiled studying machine. I hated exercising. So it was humorous when fellow riders would ask me after class, are you an athlete? Do you run? Pfft! NOPE! Then people changed from asking me, “Do you live here?” when I was at school studying to when they saw me at Cyclebar… or Panera Bread.

“To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.”

The writer Paul helps inform my mantra. Don’t disengage yourself from your community because you wish you were somewhere else. I was all-in for Cyclebar from the day that I started. It was the same for medical school. I love activities/endeavors that push me to my limits. And I avoid things that I believe will slow down my zeal, passions, and goals academically, professionally, relationally, and in my spiritual life with Jesus.

Invest your energy into things that multiply. Education multiplies opportunities. Family multiplies joy/love. Fitness multiplies health. Religion multiplies purpose. But the multiplication factor lies in you. A critical threshold must be met in all of these activities or else it will become a waste of your time.

Education becomes student debt. Family becomes strained obligations. Fitness becomes wasted gym memberships or rebound weight gain. Religion becomes hypocrisy. Don’t let this happen.

I’ve met incredible people in medical school and my fellow riders at Cyclebar. People seeking to better themselves and who provide me with comradery, friendly competition, and good fun. The writer Paul summed it well when he continued with these words:

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run (or bikers bike!), but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (1 Cor 9:22-27)

#lifeofamedicalstudent #lifegoals #100rideclub