Formulas

Posted:  March 14th, 2012 (7:38am)

Many of us have a love-hate relationship with arithmetic.  We love to conquer real life problems with equations that we understand, like how to figure the square footage of a wall that we are going to paint.   But we recoil at the idea of stretching our minds around advanced mathematical problems and concepts, especially if we are going to be graded.  So what’s the problem with math?

I think there are several.  First of all, it’s either right or it’s wrong.  It works or it doesn’t.  Second, if you missed an earlier lesson, the odds are you won’t get the current one right either.  That means you have to go back to where you last “got it” and make your way forward.  And perhaps lastly, it seems like few people are really good at teaching it, which leaves many of us feeling confused and befuddled much of the time.

But the power of math is it’s unchanging rules and it’s absolute predictability.  When you get it — you get it.  And you keep on getting it.  It’s not unlike the Christian journey, which by the way has it’s own mathematical component.  Consider the following quote:

“It is in proportion to our own devotion and consecration to Christ that we exert an influence for the blessing and uplifting of mankind.”  Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing,  p. 37.

If this is a spiritual axiom (and I believe it is), then understanding how to adjust the power of my influence for Christ is simple enough.  And if, by chance, I feel that my influence is weak and insipid,  then I can know how to change it.

So how devoted are you to Jesus?  How consecrated is your time, your money and your talents?  You see, Christianity isn’t so unlike math.  It either works or it doesn’t.