Generosity

Recently on a surf trip in central America, we were all surfing at a firing right hander. As set wave approached, I called my buddy into a wave at the point, “Go Go Go!” I was in the position but I had already gotten a few of the medium ones so I decided to be generous, or so I told myself at the time. As I was duck diving, coming up looking over my shoulder, I specifically remember the thought coming into my mind: “bro I gave you that one, you better not blow it” I wanted to see fountains of water shooting out the back, fins above the lip, all of it. As I sat out the back, waiting on the next set, the Lord set the theme of generosity on my heart.

It got me thinking, if I was really being generous in that moment, then I don’t get to have any caveats. I don’t get to expect anything from that wave, I don’t get to expect anything in return. If I am giving something away, out of pure kindness of heart, then I should not be expecting any particular outcome. When the next set wave comes, I can’t act like “this one is mine because I gave you that last one”, that is not generosity, that is reciprocity. If you are giving, truly giving, out of the generosity in your heart, you don’t get to have any say over what happens after you give. You should not expect anything in return, giving generously is blessing someone with something without any expectations.

“And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.” Luke 6:34

Image by Richard Brady