Principle of Multiplication
Posted in Daily Focus on Tuesday, July 29, 2014
In the 1930s, Dawson Trotman founded The Navigators ministry with the belief that everyone who is born into God's family is to multiply. Though Trotman started by sharing his faith with just one sailor, by the end of World War II, thousands of men on ships around the world had learned about Christ and were actively sharing their faith. Being saved himself from a life of drunkenness and corruption, Trotman believed if a person would lead someone to Christ every six months and disciple him until he led another person to Christ, within 15 years over two billion people would be living for the Lord. Billy Graham preached at his funeral in 1956 and said, "I think Dawson Trotman has personally touched more lives [for Christ's sake] than anybody I have ever known." Quite a statement coming from a man whose Gospel message of salvation has since been preached to millions!
As a young homeschooling mother, I felt my life was quite insignificant for many years. I couldn't see God's big picture for my life and the importance of being faithful in teaching and discipling my children in the Lord, but then I read the story of Dawson Trotman and his thoughts of the multiplication principle. I realized more people would be reached by entrusting the truths of God to my children than if I went out and ministered on my own. My first mission field was sitting right in front of me!
How well do you know your multiplication facts? Do you know that your homeschooling will not only reap rewards now, but also in the future? Teaching your children spiritual and academic truths will forever change the lives of many people because of the godly influence your children will have on them. 2 Timothy 2:2 says, "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also."
Lord, help me to multiply the number of those who will hear the message of Your love, forgiveness, and salvation by investing all my efforts in teaching the children You have given me. Thank You that what I am doing has lasting value in Your eyes and for the harvest of souls You have prepared. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Comments(10 comments)
DIANA M 07/30/2009 06:26:45
I'm confused by your first sentence in this devotional. Either Trotman started Navigators in 1934, or he started it during World War II, but not both. World War II started in Europe in 1939, but the United States Navy did not get involved in the war until 1941.
(It took me a lot of years of homeschooling to learn these facts. Let's not let other public-schooled home-schooling mom's be confused about history...)
CARL V 07/30/2009 08:04:37
Diana,
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We have made a change in the devotional to more accurately reflect the history of The Navigators. We always appreciate feedback from loyal readers like you. God bless!
DIANA M 08/01/2009 08:56:38
Aw, thanks! Loving history, I also truly wondered when Nav's started!
Diana
SUSAN M 07/29/2010 03:45:34
AMEN and AMEN!!!!! This is the absolute greatest reason to homeschool....it may seem like we aren't being involved in the "real war" but we're just preparing some special forces for some major impact when the time comes. Also along the way God brings people into our lives who are "white unto harvest" to lead to Him but the daily work of teaching our children how to love and serve Christ commissioned in His cause is so important. Thanks for the reminder and encouragement!!!! Homeschoolers work WITH the church (body of Christ and Local) not against it!
Aldy D 08/05/2010 09:29:24
Beautiful devotional, I completely agree with you. Thanks for sharing with us.
God Bless you. My prayer will be the same.
JENNIFER B 07/29/2011 08:13:28
Christ Jesus was THE teacher, THE MASTER teacher. May we all strive to follow His example and teachings! The apostles and disciples were Jesus' purposely hand-picked followers who would one day pen the New Testament and teach the world all that Jesus had commanded them (Matt 28:18-20). Let us always strive to teach others to truly love, respect, and read God's Word the Bible that contains for us all the spiritual teachings we need (2 Tim 3:16-17 & 2 Peter 1:3)! May we all seek to understand God's Will for salvation, the church, worship, and daily living through the truths revealed in the Bible and teach others to do the same!!
MICHELLE B 07/29/2011 08:33:19
This has given me newfound value in myself as a home-schooling mom of three. I've taught my children about the Lord since they were born. One is 17, another 15, and our youngest is 13. Our oldest likes to go out on Friday and Saturday nights with his friends and witness to the homeless here in Reno, the other likes to witness online with friends, and the youngest is loving just to read God's Word. I have a greater hope now that they will make an impact for Christ in their own lives someday and lead others to savlng knowledge. Thanks!
ANGIE W 07/30/2011 07:05:10
Michelle B: I just loved reading your comment. It truly brings tears to my eyes to hear of others children doing Gods work and spreading the word. I was brought up in church my whole life and now I have four of my own. They are 10, 9, 5 & 1. We are also new to homeschooling this fall and I just pray that God works through me to teach my children more about his love. We are currently looking for a new church home (due to moving) and just pray that we find the church family we are looking for. Gods love already shines through my children with their loving hearts and their sweet nature. I thank God every day for my beautiful children and that He will use them for His glory as well. I pray blessings on everyone.
AUDREY A 07/31/2011 15:02:31
I am a homeschool mum and I know it is so important in lead our children God's way and lead them to God and surely they can have an impact on the world around them as they grow, but we also have to balance, to be careful not to stay in our little world with our children and forget to reach out to the people in this world. Either extreme is not desired of God.
PETER B 07/30/2012 09:01:09
If as homeschoolers we choose NOT to evangelize and then disciple those out of our home then we are doing one of 2 things:
(1) Hoping our children will do what we say and not what we do, ignoring the principle of modeling -or-
(2) Planning that the Kingdom of God will progress at or less than the rate of biological growth, so we can never hope to contribute to actually reaching those who are not already part of the Kingdom.
Yes, let\'s teach our children! And let\'s teach them how to evangelize and disciple BY SHOWING THEM with our lives! That\'s the message that will stick!