Expectation, The Test of True Generosity (Part 1)

I believe the mark of true generosity can be found in expectation.  As you give or lend:  What is your expectation for the situation?

“If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount.  But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great.” (Luke 6:34-35)

Christ gave quite a surprising twist to generosity–expect nothing in return.  This got me thinking about what types of “expectations” we bring to the table of generosity.

REPAYMENT

“But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (Luke 14:13-14)

As mentioned by Christ, the anticipation of “receiving back the same amount” destroys a pure-hearted sense of generosity.  When God’s people give or lend, it must be done with a certain level of detachment.  To a certain extent, we must separate ourselves from our contributions and credits.  This is how we love our enemies.  This is how we prove to the world that Christ is all we really need.  When we act in a manner completely opposite of the world, when we take the very paradigms of earthly existence and flip them upside-down, then we give weight to the idea that there really is something different about Jesus.

Before we let ourselves off of the hook too easily, we must think clearly about what type of “repayments” we expect for our generosity.  If we make a contribution to our church, do we expect certain services to be provided with the use of our money?  Do we expect certain “favors” to be called in by friends we have helped out in the past?  Do we expect a certain level of control in exchange for our contributions?

There are countless ways we expect repayment (other than a literal repayment of funds).  We are free from a moral standpoint to act as we choose, but Christ is speaking of something much deeper here.  He is speaking of a life lived for heaven (Part 3).

Expectation Series: Part 1- Repayment, Part 2- Praise, Part 3- Heavenly.

Check out the latest deals on Dollars and Doctrine here.