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Quality, Not Quantity



 It has been a month since we've made New Year's resolutions. Some may be holding fast. Others are three weeks gone. Most probably fall into the latter category.

Why are we Americans often so bad at resolutions? One reason is our delusion that all changes must be grand and that more is better. I'll read the Bible more, pray more, witness more, more--more--more--crash.

Rarely do we voice a resolution that we will do something better. It doesn't satisfy the ego as much because it isn't as noticeable, at least not immediately. However, it can be proven that if we did desire quality above quantity and could accept patient growth over magnanimous change, the results would astound us all. Let's see how.

John Wesley once said, "Give me 100 men who love God and nothing else and who hate sin and nothing else, and I will change the world." John wasn't asking for an army. He desired 100 quality people who would single-mindedly ser

We did some calculations on what 100 witnesses for Christ could accomplish in 100 years. Here is the simple math. If 100 people had discipled 10 people each over a period of 10 years......and if they had done such a good job that each of the people they discipled would continue the ministry and disciple another ten people over the next ten years......and if they did an equally effective work so that the pattern continued for 100 years, there would be no one on Earth left to share Christ with. In 100 years there would be One Trillion disciples.

It seems too humble a goal to only disciple ten people in a lifetime until we realize that Jesus himself only tried twelve and succeeded with eleven. He chose quality over quantity. He didn't heal all he could have or cast out all the demons that were around or feed all the hungry he encountered. He guarded his time and conserved his energy for a quality work. He often avoided crowds and demanded secrecy when he knew popularity would hinder his quality work. Jesus knew the exponential value of intense discipleship.

The truth is that discipling ten people in ten years is a tall order for any of us--likely beyond us. What if John Wesley's dream meant succeeding with only five people, one every two years?.....result in 100 years--10 Billion new disciples. What if they could only handle three?...result in 100 years--6 Million new disciples. Quality plus time equals astounding results. It takes concentration and patience and a healthy dose of God's grace, but it does not require quantity. "My yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Let's try a New Year's resolution that reachable, within our gifts, and yields like Jesus' mustard seed. Keeping that kind of resolution will produce amazing results far exceeding our New Year's dreams.



About the Author:


 Steve Graner is a Christian educator and familyman employed by the Minot, ND Public School District. A licensed laypastor, he is passionate about Christian writing and Christian drama. Along with family and friends, Steve has performed numerous self-written dramas and musicals for area church audiences.