"Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth."

Imagine a farmer standing at the edge of his field with a single seed in his hand. He could ask, "What's the minimum I need to plant to say I farmed today?" Or he could ask, "What's the maximum harvest possible from this land?" The first question leads to one seed and a lot of empty ground. The second leads to abundance. Same field, same farmer, completely different outcomes, all because of the question he asked.

This is exactly what God was getting at when He created marriage and called it good. In Genesis, God didn't just want people to exist. He wanted them to multiply His image, His dominion, and His character throughout the earth. When God asks, "What was I seeking?" the answer is godly offspring. Not just babies, but a multiplication of His nature through committed, covenant relationships.

So when the Pharisees started looking for minimum requirements and exit strategies in marriage, they weren't just breaking a rule. They were destroying the very design meant to multiply God's presence in the world. Just like a farmer who refuses to plant destroys his own harvest, hearts that seek the minimum destroy their own fruitfulness.

Right now, think about the areas of your life where God is asking for multiplication.

• When it comes to attending church, are you asking what's the minimum to avoid guilt, or what's the maximum opportunity to encounter God and encourage others? 
• When it comes to tithing, are you calculating the smallest acceptable percentage, or considering the greatest possible impact?
• When it comes to forgiving someone who hurt you, are you offering the bare minimum to feel righteous, or the maximum grace that could transform both of you?

Here's what's incredible about this question: it reveals what you truly believe about God's heart toward you. 

If you think God gives you the minimum, you'll give Him the minimum back. But when you realize that God didn't just meet the requirement at the cross, He exceeded it beyond all measure, everything changes. That cross wasn't the minimum love required. It was the maximum love provided.

God is seeking godly offspring, multiplication of His character through your life. That only happens when you stop asking what you owe and start asking what love makes possible.

Take one area where you've been doing the minimum and commit to maximum generosity today. This could be in time, attention, money, forgiveness, or service.
Don't just meet the requirement. Exceed it because you've been exceeded by God's love.