Have you ever read or heard a phrase that you can’t seem to get out of your head?
Maybe you read it in a book and it stopped you dead in your tracks.
Maybe you heard it on a podcast and you had to stop listening in order to chew on whatever was just shared.
Well, over the last 6 weeks, that was me.
I could not shake this idea in my head.
Multiplication over exaltation.
About 6 weeks ago, Pastor James Hilton at the Journey preached one of the most powerful sermons I had ever heard in my life. In all honesty, it came from a biblical text that I have always read over, but for this time this text stopped me in my tracks.
At the Journey we just finished a series called “When I Don’t See It.” It focused on the life of Abraham and his constant need to trust God even when things don’t look likely or make sense.
Here is the link to the sermon on YouTube: When I Don’t See It – Part 4
I think anyone can relate to parts of Abraham’s story and see themselves in it. But this specific text floored me.
In Genesis 17:5 we see God speaking to Abraham and he actually changes his name. Abram will now be known as Abraham. There is so much depth to this name change and the meaning of it.
Abram: Father of Exaltation
Abraham: Father of Multiplication
Why multiplication over exaltation? Because Abraham was going to and did become the father to a multitude of nations that still live today.
This made me think deeply about myself and multiplication instead of exaltation.
Every time you see expansion in the Bible, it comes from multiplication. Movements of the Spirit don’t add, they multiply. Strategic discipleship doesn’t add, it multiplies.
So often we believe our legacy in this world will be determined by how often we are exalted or how highly we are regarded. This shatters that idea. Our legacy in life is not determined by our exaltation but instead by our multiplication.
We will always be remembered and defined by who we poured into.
So as I look at my own life, I don’t want to be someone constantly looking for exaltation. I don’t need an “attaboy!”
But being intentional about multiplication means feeling like you have something to share that could be beneficial to others.
With that comes a desire for significance and exaltation.
See, it’s hard to feel like you have anything significant to share.
Do people want to listen or do people want to read anything I have to say?
I think we all feel that tension of feeling unimportant. Why? Because we feel like we need to be exalted in order to do what God has called us to do.
I feel this tension every day of my life.
Exaltation is in front of my face every single day when I go on instagram and see influencers. I go on Tik Tok and see their influencers. I go on YouTube and see YouTubers posting videos with thousands of views in only a couple of hours.
I cannot and we cannot let exaltation of others drive us away from what God is calling us to do.
This is why I need to do something new.
I need to reframe the way I think.
I need to rebuild my faith in God’s promises and call in my life.
What I need to do is to share the little bits of wisdom I’ve gained over these last 28 years so that the people I am intentionally pouring into don’t make the same dumb mistakes I did.
What does that look like for me? I’m not sure. All I know is that I want to find more ways to multiply. I cannot give everyone I meet intentional 1 on 1 time with me. I can do that for some, but not for all.
That means its time to get creative.
I think this blog is a start because what gets shared online stays forever.
Is it a YouTube channel talking through things that teenage and college aged students need to know? Maybe.
Is it a book for youth pastors and parents on the future of student ministry? Maybe.
I just know that I personally want to find more ways to multiply. Not to exalt myself by any means, but to help others grow in wisdom and faith.
Like Pastor James said in his sermon, “what was keeping you from being Abraham was being Abram.”
I want to get out of my own way in this. I want to multiply.
So for you, who are you pouring into?
How are you pouring into them?
What else can you do to share the wisdom you’ve gained with the people God has gifted you to have influence over?
I don’t know what those answers are for you, but for myself, I’m going to keep searching and working towards multiplication.
If you want to check out the sermon, you can click on the link below. He begins talking about this text at the 22:38 mark of the video. Make sure you check it out, give it a like and subscribe.
Jadner Lugo's Blog 