Reciprocity
Reciprocity is a key value in our western culture, as it was in the days of Jesus. But, the idea that people would repay a kindness or return a favour is not the problem – the problem is when we make giving or getting a return obligatory in all our dealings with people. That’s why Jesus encouraged His disciples to give to those who could not pay or return the favour. He knew that a rigid reciprocity has the potential to kill generosity and accentuate the gulf between the haves and the have-not’s.
In Luke 14:12-14, Jesus encouraged his followers to be generous with those who could not return the favor. He understood that we can all be driven by what we can get out of a relationship rather than by what we can give to it. But, Jesus was not merely giving good advice, He was talking about the sort of generosity that He came to demonstrate in His own life. The good news of the gospel begins with the generosity of God’s grace when He gave His only Son to save unworthy sinners. This generosity can never be repaid or reciprocated, only received with gratitude and then reproduced by being passed on. Our capacity to be generous – especially towards those who cannot reciprocate – says more about the impact of the gospel on our lives and our walk with God, than anything else we do
Every writer loves to know that what they have written has been helpful to someone else. For many writers, getting published and being paid represents the ultimate validation for their skills and contribution – but is that really true? Should we be measuring our success with popularity poles and financial returns? Does such success necessarily say anything about the quality and content of our work?
As Christian writers, we can be part of a long tradition of faithful people who made their pens available to the LORD, and sought His approval and provision above all else. The Bible is the greatest and the longest running best seller of all time, yet most of its authors were rejected at the time when they spoke and wrote as the LORD’s representatives. And, none of them got any royalties either. I am not saying that we should not be paid for our work, or enjoy the recognition we may receive; but I am saying that these motivations can distort our focus and sidetrack us from our true purpose – to be God’s ready writer (see Psalm 45:1)
Yet, RECIPROCITY is not a sin in itself, because being a member of the Body of Christ implies that we are looking out for each other. A How can we care for and support and look out for one another without the generosity going both ways? The problems only begin when we start measuring our generosity and developing a strategic mindset that seeks to get the best return for our money or time. Are we giving to get, or giving to bless? If God had done that, we’d all be on the rejects pile. There is nothing wrong with selling a product or making a profit, but writing for Jesus means we cannot allow money to control what and why we write
Writing for Jesus means writing what is pleasing to Him, what is needed by those you are writing to, and doing it for the Kingdom. If you are generous with what He has given you, He will use it to bless others and yourself as well. You may not get rich, or become a celebrity writer, but everyone in Heaven will know your name because Jesus will be telling them about you. Jesus reminds us that we cannot serve both God and Mammon (money and riches), so make the right decision today and use your pen to serve Him – because your Heavenly Father already knows what your needs are.