Someone Has to Go First 

Someone Has to Go First
A little bit of grace can completely change the vibe of your workplace, your family, and your neighborhood.  

Back in the 90s, there was a TV commercial that featured two buddies out for a round of golf. It begins with one of the guys standing over a 5-foot putt. His friend smiles and says, “pick it up…it’s a gimme.” 

In the next scene, we see sand flying up from the greenside bunker. Once again his friend announces, “ah, pick it up…it’s a gimme!” 

The absurdity (and the distance) continues to expand. Now, one of the friends is standing over his ball hundreds of yards out from the green. “Pick it up!” His playing partner screams. “IT’S…..A..…GIMME!” 

Generosity is Contagious 

I haven’t quite adopted this level of generosity when I play golf with my friends. But I have noticed something—if I give my buddy a two-footer on the first hole, he almost always adopts the same posture toward me for the rest of the round.  

Grace begets grace. Generosity begets generosity.  

When a level of graciousness is offered in one direction, it is almost always reciprocated in the other direction. When one person goes first, the “culture” of the whole round becomes generous. 

(Some might call it cheating, but let’s roll with generosity). 

Change the Temperature 

This is admittedly an imperfect analogy. True grace always costs someone something. When we were lost in our sin, God sent His Son to pay the debt on our behalf. He didn’t just carelessly swipe it away like a 2-foot tap-in. 

That’s not the type of costly atonement-level grace I’m referring to here. 

I’m just thinking about the vibe and temperature of our workplaces, our dinner tables, our neighborhoods. When we’re gracious and generous with others, that grace often returns to us.  

Even when we’re holding one another accountable, pointing out an error, or doing a postmortem on a poorly run project, we can do it in a way that honors the image-bearing value of others. 

If we choose to go first, we can help shift an entire corporate, family, or neighborhood culture to be more gracious and generous with one another. 

“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” (Proverbs 11:25) 

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matthew 5:7) 

 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38) 

“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.” (Matthew 7:12)  

Grace begets grace. Generosity begets generosity. Isn’t this the way we want to live and work? Somebody has to humble themselves enough to go first.