Asymmetry is just another way to say “not equal”. A means “not”, symmetry means “equal”. When you use your ministry resources, you put them into a system (such as a particular program) and then the system gives you an output. Your output must be greater than, equal to, or less than the input.

When you lose resources, it looks like the image below. You lose 1 (or more) resources when you input them into your system. you then get even loose even more out of the system.

In the image below, the resources put into the system and the outflow are the same. While better than losing your resources asymmetrically, this is still a waste of time. All that happens in the image below is one resource is transferred into an equivalent amount of some other resource.

When you allocate resources, you ideally want to see what is represented in the image below. For every single resource you put in, you get an asymmetric output to the upside.

Now that we understand this, let’s discuss the two rules of resource allocation.

The #1 rule of resource allocation is to NEVER LOSE RESOURCES.

The #2 rule of resource allocation is to INCREASE RESOURCES.

The rules are in this order for a specific reason. It is much easier to not lose resources than it is to generate an increase in resources.

For example, you can probably think of 100 ways not to lose money with 100% efficiency.

But it’s much harder to think of even ten ways you can make more money with 100% efficiency.

As long as you avoid burning ministry resources, you can create enough time to find out which systems will create more resources (bear fruit) for your ministry.

In the image above, you see that the system input is 1 and the output is 100.

This is the idea behind the following verse in Matthew:

“Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matt 13:8

In this course, we will be learning how to produce the seed you sow 100-fold.

As you begin, you will find opportunities where your ministry can create just a little resource asymmetry (inputting 1 resource and getting 1.5 resources back).

As you refine your skill, you will find opportunities to put in 1 resource while getting 100 back. This is the ultimate goal, and you can reach it.

One final thing to be aware of is that when you insert a resource into your ministry, it’s common to get a different type of resource out in return.

When you go to work, you put in your time, and you get money in exchange. Carefully consider what resources you are putting in and what resources you will get out of each resource transaction.