God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.
—1 Peter 4:10
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The Catalyst
In this pivotal chapter, I’ll unpack the catalyst of effective increase . In using the word effective , I’m speaking of multiplication that endures forever.
A catalyst is a key ingredient precipitating or accelerating an event or change (my definition taken from many dictionaries). We are all given gifts, but what triggers their enduring potential is found in the apostle Peter’s words, “Use them well to Serving is the but genuine serving is always motivated by love. The apostle Paul writes:
For we remember before our God and Father how you put faith into practice, how your love motivates you to serve (1 Thessalonians 1:3 TPT)
True serving originates out of a heart burning with love. It’s an inner disposition that is not altered by adversity, hardship, or any other unfavorable circ*mstances. It manifests sometimes in word, but most often, in action.
Turkey Lady
I’ll illustrate serving with a story. The couple I’m highlighting are very close friends who have asked to remain anonymous in their mission. So, in keeping with their desire, I’ll use fictional names.
Riley and Dave live in a suburb of one of the largest cities in the United States. It was destiny for them to meet, as their apartments were right next to each other.
Soon after getting married, Riley wondered why most churches, homeless shelters, and other charity organizations provide meals and gifts at Christmas, but little is done for the holiday of Thanksgiving. She believes Thanksgiving is important because it focuses on family and centers on a meal. Many single moms, the disabled, and the homeless struggle to provide or participate in a suitable meal. She believes soup kitchens serve a needed purpose but lack the intimacy a home-cooked meal can provide for a family.
Riley has stated, “On our own, each of us has the opportunity to make an impact, but together the impact is greater.” She’s well versed in Scripture and knows that the efforts of two working together in harmony are tenfold of what they can accomplish alone (see Deuteronomy 32:30). She’s also well aware of the fact that results keep escalating as more believers unite. Another truth burning in her heart is that true servants want to be a part of a team and don’t care if they get the credit. Riley’s attitude personifies these important ingredients for multiplication.
For her first Thanksgiving opportunity, Riley collected money from family and friends to purchase turkeys. With a multiplying mindset, she and Dave promised to match dollar for dollar all that was received. That year, she bought eleven turkeys and delivered them anonymously from the trunk of her car. The second year, the number rose to thirty-one turkeys.
The third year, she told her family and friends that they could share the vision with other friends, as long as they kept it anonymous. They did, and the effort started to rapidly multiply. By the fifth year, they had touched five hundred families and were able to add two cans of vegetables and stuffing to each donation.
It was at this point that she formally set up an anonymous distribution agreement with the Salvation Army. This charity organization is connected to social services and was able to set up an application process to screen for the truly needy. The people chosen had no other options for provision (food stamps, government programs, etc.). Riley and her team set up a drive-through and a walk-up distribution site on the grounds of the Salvation Army.
There were many who improvised in order to receive their needed food. They pulled wagons, rode bikes, pushed baskets, asked neighbors for rides, or just walked up and carried away the turkey, vegetables, and stuffing—sometimes for long distances—back to their trailer, apartment, park, or other place outdoors where they lived. One homeless man had figured out how to cook the turkey outside for himself and his homeless friends using a discarded fryer and propane tank.
Eventually, the distribution became so large that a new site was needed to facilitate the volume of people. A neighboring YMCA had a large vacant lot, but relations were strained between the Y and the Salvation Army. The need prompted the two organizations to confront their differences. They reconciled and have since worked together with Riley’s project, as well as other community efforts.
Each year, Riley and Dave set a goal to beat the previous year’s distribution. They determined that no person in their entire area would go without a proper Thanksgiving meal. As the number grew, the distribution became more complex and difficult, especially with increased prices and some friends dropping out or moving. The couple was stronger financially and didn’t want progress stalled at this time, so they decided to match every dollar donated with two dollars. (As a side note, it’s no wonder their financial strength increased in those six years. God was multiplying their giving so they could be more effective.)
In Riley’s words, “Somehow, some way, God would always supply money from different sources, causing the totals to climb higher and higher.” And what makes it more amazing is that the couple determined from the beginning that they would not receive one penny from government programs or any corporations. It all had to come from family, friends, and friends of friends.
As the numbers escalated, new challenges arose. It became impossible to dispense all the turkeys in one day, as the volume of people was so large. Riley and Dave were forced to add a second distribution day, but this created a significant obstacle: Where would they store the turkeys overnight for the second day’s distribution? Riley was persistent in her search for an answer. At the midnight hour, a major grocery store chain where they bought all the turkeys stepped up and donated the use of refrigerated trucks. Now the money could be spent on food rather than storage.
There were numerous other hurdles and struggles to overcome, too many to list. This couple’s faith is strong and their resolve is adamant. In the face of adversity, they continually prayed, cried out to God, came up with inspired strategic ideas, and found favor with people who could help.
They’ve just hit their twenty-sixth year of serving, and as I’m writing this, this year alone they have fed 10,500 families (if there is an average of four per family, that would be 42,000 people). They have effectively fed every needy person in their entire county, and a good portion of the two neighboring counties (keep in mind this area includes one of the largest cities in the United States). In doing so, they filled five tractor trailers (each forty-eight feet long) with turkeys and three tractor trailers with vegetables and stuffing. Over two hundred volunteers are mobilized, with many of them working tirelessly over a span of several days. Many of them have been with Riley from the beginning. Here’s what’s amazing: Most of the volunteers still don’t know the identity of the “Turkey Lady”!
It would be impossible to list the miracles, stories, and testimonies of lives changed by their multiplication. Numerous people have come to know Jesus, including Riley’s husband, Dave, and many have returned to faith. Families have reconciled, and many people have been inspired—including government workers, grocery store employees, Salvation Army and YMCA employees, volunteers and, in some ways, the entire community.
Allow me to share several short stories. One of Riley’s friends is the treasurer of a local motorcycle club. Every year, he asks them to take up a collection for the Turkey Lady. They actually challenge each other to see who can give the most. Last year she got a text after Thanksgiving that the bikers were increasing their donation by $3,000 more for next Thanksgiving.
One year, the Turkey Lady team decided to donate the overage to a local church. It inspired the church to use Riley’s model to start their own program of helping the poor during Thanksgiving and other times of the year.
Salvation Army team members that have been transferred to different states are eager to start programs patterned after Riley’s. Others have moved into her area and couldn’t wait to learn about the ministry, as they’d heard Riley’s story from afar through the ranks of the Salvation Army.
Riley is not a pastor, she doesn’t work for a church, and she is not a business or corporate woman. She is a wife, mom, and devoted believer who faithfully attends church. She is well aware of the fact that she serves a mighty God who delights in her multiplication. I’m honored to be this couple’s friend.
The Number One Example of Eternal Multiplication
Serving motivated by love is the catalyst for multiplication. Consider some of the great stories of multiplication in Scripture. Of course, the one that tops them all is Jesus. He says:
If you want to be the greatest one, then live as one called to serve others. The path to promotion and prominence comes by having the heart of a bond-slave who serves everyone. For even the Son of Man did not come expecting to be served by everyone, but to serve and to give His life as the ransom price in exchange for the salvation of many. (Mark 10:43–45 TPT)
Jesus identifies the path to true greatness—seeking to serve, not to be served. It’s no surprise He identifies His supreme act of serving with these words: “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels” (John 12:24). Once again, we hear of planting (or and Just as one invested wheat kernel yields a multitude of kernels, Jesus’s obedience to serve produced multitudes of sons and daughters of God. What an example! He paved the way and set the bar, showing us how to effectively multiply. Jesus says to us:
You call me “Teacher” and “Lord,” and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to Do as I have done to you. (John 13:13–15)
As a leader and communicator, I know the importance of the final This is the statement or message you leave with your reader, listener, student, team member, employee, child, or anyone else. It’s the prevailing thought you want your hearers to have as they move forward.
In His time on earth, what was the final word from Jesus? Interestingly, it was an illustrated sermon He gave before His crucifixion—the washing of His followers’ feet.
I’m going to be honest with you; as a young believer I intensely disliked any time someone suggested in a small group, “Let’s wash each other’s feet.” I’d immediately think of a trivial reason to suddenly slip out, because I just didn’t like men touching my feet!
Years later, I’m relieved to know the foot washing was more of a tradition that my friends were holding on to. A parallel example is when Moses put the serpent on the pole (see Numbers 21:8–9), and all who looked upon it were healed of snake bites. It was miraculous and powerful. However, many generations later, Israel made an idol of this very serpent (see 2 Kings 18:4). They highlighted the object instead of understanding that originally, years earlier, the focus was obedience to the Lord’s instruction.
In the 1980s, we followed a similar path in my Bible study groups. We got the “foot washing” thing out of whack. We focused more on the action, rather than what it represented. Back in the first century, the roads weren’t paved, animals were the only mode of transportation other than walking, and there were no Adidas or Nike tennis shoes. People wore sandals or, in many cases, no shoes at all, so their feet were exposed to an abundance of dirt, animal feces, and other grime. It’s safe to say that in that environment, stinky, dirty feet reached a level unknown to our Western world today.
When people entered a wealthy person’s house, servants or slaves were required to clean the feet of their master, his family, and the guests. In a typical upper-class home, there were a variety of responsibilities: stables to be managed, food to be prepared, rooms to be cleaned, among others. The assignment of washing feet was reserved for the lowliest servant. In some circles, the designation went even further; this nasty task was exclusively assigned to the lowest female servants, as they were considered the only ones “unworthy” enough to do something so disgusting.
For the last supper, the twelve disciples were in such a house, one large enough to host Jesus’s entire team in a separate room. It possibly was the most affluent home in the city. Hours earlier, each of these twelve men had had their feet washed by the lowest servant. But, shockingly, the same evening, Jesus not only grabbed the basin and pitcher of water, but He also disrobed—removing the symbol of His position as Teacher, and began to wash their feet. They knew exactly what was going on and what it represented. In contrast, in college, I was confused and even repulsed by the practice because my feet were clean; I had just taken a shower before the Bible study. It also unsettled me. Why is some guy I barely know attempting to wash my feet?
If you reread Jesus’s words, they’ll take on a much greater meaning. He was making a lasting impression; one that would stay with these disciples for the rest of their lives. A final
In a nutshell, in order to be great, we are to voluntarily take the place of the lowliest servant. Could this be why Jesus says, “I am gentle and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29 ESV)?
It took a while to really grasp this. In my early days as a believer, it seemed many of us viewed ministry as just the opposite. Our unspoken belief was, “Significance isn’t attained until you are speaking to or leading Serving was for people in the lower positions of our church. If you worked hard enough, eventually you would be a person of importance. Oh, how messed up our perception was!
I’m so grateful for the Holy Spirit’s patience in the maturing process! He transformed my thinking, but it took time. As stated earlier, my first four years of ministry mostly involved taking care of our pastor’s personal needs.
One day while I was running an errand, God’s Spirit whispered, “Son, if I promote you, it will be a greater position of If you mess up now, it’s just a dry-cleaned shirt. In public ministry it won’t be a replaceable shirt; rather, it will be lives, the people I love damaged.” I was riveted by His words. Not only did He communicate that higher positions would include greater serving responsibilities, but He also communicated the importance of always being faithful in the smaller matters. My level of serving wouldn’t change with the true riches: people.
Rebekah
One riveting example of multiplication from selfless serving in the Old Testament is seen in Rebekah. Let’s briefly review the story.
Abraham sent his most trusted servant back to the country he’d left to find a wife for his heir, Isaac. The servant left promptly, taking ten camels for the long journey.
Upon arrival, Abraham’s servant realized it was the time of day that young women came to the community well for water. He prayed, “This is my request. I will ask one of them, ‘Please give me a drink from your jug.’ If she says, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’—let her be the one you have selected as Isaac’s wife” (Genesis 24:14).
Before he was finished praying, Rebekah approached with her water jug, so he asked her for a drink. What happens next is spectacular:
“Yes, my lord,” she answered, “have a drink.” And she quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and gave him a drink. When she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough to drink.” So she quickly emptied her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw water for all his camels. (Genesis 24:18–20)
The servant watched her in silence until she had given all ten camels sufficient water. In these few verses we find many remarkable traits involved in Rebekah’s serving. I’ll list them one by one:
•She didn’t drag her feet. She did everything swiftly, even running back and forth to the well. Slow or convenient serving is not true serving. Have you ever noticed people serving, but they do so lethargically with an attitude of “I’m tired from all this work”? That’s not Rebekah or any true servant. True servants have a willing and energetic attitude, which is evident from their actions.
•Extra Servants excel. Rebekah far surpassed what was asked. Since most of us have not owned camels or lived in a Middle Eastern desert, we wouldn’t pick up on this factor that makes Rebekah’s service even more stunning. After a long trip, a typical thirsty camel can drink thirty to fifty gallons of water. Abraham’s servant had ten camels! Let’s do the math: If each camel drank just thirty gallons, that means Rebekah had to carry three hundred gallons of water from the well! If a typical jug contained five gallons (forty pounds), she had to make sixty trips back and forth from the well.
But it’s even more amazing! There were two types of wells in those days. One allowed that a rope be tied to the jug and lowered from the surface to the water level in the pit. The other required going down twenty to thirty steps to the water level. Do we know which kind of well Rebekah was using? We sure do—the second one, because later when the servant related Rebekah’s actions to her family, he said, “She went down to the spring and drew water” (verse 45). Not only did she make sixty trips with five gallons of water on her shoulders, but she did it while navigating all those steps on each trip. And keep in mind—she volunteered to do this without being asked! Which brings us to the next point.
•A true servant doesn’t wait to be asked when a need is evident; he or she moves forward immediately. In all my years of experience, it’s become quite evident that when people consistently wait to be told, they don’t multiply. Those who are always the first to go into action are the ones who increase.
•Even though the task was difficult, Rebekah was diligent in serving. Through the years I’ve observed a pattern: the harder the task, the more quickly great attitudes diminish—it’s human nature. However, we have the nature of Jesus Christ. He never quit, even when He went through unimaginable resistance and hardship. Live from the nature of Jesus and be inspired by Rebekah!
•Rebekah didn’t stop until the work was finished. She was not a quitter. Doing ninety-nine percent of a task is not finishing a task. We recall how King Saul did this in the battle of the Amalekites: When he killed tens of thousands of people, but spared one, God did not reward His efforts (see 1 Samuel 15). Rebekah did all that she did not knowing there was a reward for her labor. This is the true sign of servanthood: Servants don’t labor for the purpose of the reward, but they see the act of serving as its own reward. They love the joy, sense of fulfillment, and satisfaction that serving provides. If there is a reward, it’s just an added blessing, not the motivation. The reward for Rebekah was magnificent. She didn’t realize that the ten camels all bore treasures and gifts for her, and that she would be married to a godly man. But neither of these was the significant prize: The enduring reward was that she entered into God’s promise to Abraham. She would be the mother of many nations. All nations would be blessed through her. Rebekah multiplied significantly.
Other Examples
There are many other scriptural examples of eternal multiplication resulting from a heart to serve. Here are a few more you can investigate in detail during your personal study time.
Ruth
Similar to Rebekah, the Moabite Ruth was encouraged three times by her mother-in-law, Naomi, to return to her homeland. But Ruth refused, saying:
Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. (Ruth 1:16)
Ruth, much like Rebekah, was willing to go the extra mile, work hard, and stay committed, even when the going got rough. Ruth’s road probably was more difficult than Rebekah’s. Since she was a Moabite, she was most likely persecuted by the town’s citizens for her race and where she came from. Yet she endured any hardship to faithfully serve her mother-in-law.
What was the result? She became an ancestor of many notables, including King David, King Solomon, and all the kings of Judah. Most importantly, she was in the lineage of Jesus. She too entered into the covenant of eternal multiplication promised to Abraham.
Elisha
Elisha determined to stay with and serve Elijah, even when Elijah encouraged him three times to leave. Even when the other prophets, more than once, mocked and sneered that he was wasting his time serving Elijah, Elisha stayed. The analysis of the others seemed logical—they’d become full-time prophets, gaining status and experience. What would be Elisha’s lot when Elijah was taken? Had he wasted his years serving Elijah without any opportunities to build his own ministry? That was the logic of the other prophets, but Elisha didn’t listen. Instead, rather firmly, he told them each time to “be quiet!” (see 2 Kings 2). He would not be deterred from serving and completed his assignment.
Elisha’s demeanor was similar to that of Rebekah and Ruth. What was the outcome? He ended up doing twice as many miracles as Elijah and was able to do what Elijah didn’t—put an end to Jezebel’s dynasty. He multiplied!
Gehazi
Gehazi had the chance to multiply Elisha’s work, but he didn’t have the heart of a servant. He was self-seeking and covetous, so he didn’t effectively multiply (see 2 Kings 5).
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In the New Testament we see men who served widows’ tables. They took the responsibility seriously. Hands were laid on them to ensure that the task was done well. The result was impressive, for in the book of Acts we read this astonishing statement:
Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem. (Acts 6:7 NKJV)
What was so astonishing? Say these words aloud: “multiplied greatly.” Think of this! These words were not used after Peter’s classic message resulting in three thousand being born again on the day of Pentecost. No, the word added is used (see Acts 2:41). In describing daily conversions, we again see the word added (see Acts 2:47). It’s the same for the five thousand giving their lives to Jesus a short while later (see Acts 4:4).
The word multiplied is not used until the sixth chapter of Acts, when all the church became active in building the kingdom.
Today, multiplication happens when people like Stan, Mike, Phil, Riley, and Dave get into their place of serving and use their gifts. This is when we hear about great
The Critical Element
Now do you understand the critical ingredient for effective multiplication? Think again about our friends Riley and Dave in the light of what we’ve seen from Scripture. This one couple, who has implemented inspired strategies and served well, have already impacted tens of thousands of people. They have become great according to the words of Jesus. The same is true for Stan, Mike, Phil, and Dana. They all carry the trait of being true servants.
However, please hear these important words: You can multiply selfishly, but your impact will not be eternal. There are people who are multiplying, but will one day see all their efforts burned up, because they are motivated by personal gain. This is illustrated in the parable Jesus told of the man who built bigger silos. The man smugly congratulated himself by saying, “Be at ease, eat, drink, and be merry, for I have arrived and now possess all I need and more.” But this story did not end well, as all his accomplishments vanished in a moment.
The core message of this book isn’t intended to give you the faith to multiply for the purpose of heaping treasures on yourself, but rather to encourage you to give your life in service to others. Jesus declares that when we do this, all the things unbelievers pursue will simply be added to us (see Matthew 6:33). I know this, for I’ve experienced it firsthand.
Let’s return to Lisa’s and my story regarding our first church. As a result of being in this toxic environment for six years, I had lingering unhealthy attitudes about multiplication. Soon after I left, one of the many transforming and freeing encounters with the Holy Spirit occurred one morning as I was driving my car. He said, “Son, don’t seek Me for the blessings. Let Me give them to you.”
I immediately thought of Matthew 6:33: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” The Spirit’s words brought proper perspective and helped eradicate residual selfish tendencies.
Oh, I’m so grateful to Him. I know what it is like to be selfish and covetous—the unhappiness, the stress, and the distance from the presence of God. Having learned His way and His heart—to seek first building the kingdom—has brought so much joy, peace, and His presence into everyday life!
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We now have come to the point where we should ask: How do we multiply when we are not the leader of our own work, but serve on someone else’s team? Let’s answer that in the next chapter, and in doing so, we will see the great benefits.
REFLECT
1. Jesus identifies serving as the path to true greatness. How did Jesus demonstrate serving? What were the results of His serving? How does God’s path to greatness differ from the world’s?
2. Recall Rebekah’s story. What were the remarkable traits involved with her serving?
3. You can multiply selfishly, but your impact will not be eternal. What is the difference between serving to get and serving to Why is it important to serve unselfishly?
