Several places in scripture we are told to tithe, to give back to God 10% of what belongs to him anyway. Tithing is an act of worship. It is a declaration of faith. When we tithe we humble ourselves before God, with a meager gift, having faith that God will use it to bless us and others in more ways then we can imagine.So, why then do we tip?
Surely not the same reasons for tithing! When we tip those who serve us, we are expressing our gratitude. We are showing them that we care about them and their well being.
As many people know, in the United States, restaurant servers are not paid a fair wage. The majority of their pay comes from the graciousness of those they serve. In the state of Pennsylvania, the current minimum wage for servers is a mere $2.83. That is less than 40% of the standard minimum wage! Once you factor in all the bills that go along with living, like: health insurance, rent, the cost of a vehicle, food, utilities, and cell phones, our servers are far from wealthy.
When we as Christians sit down at a restaurant table, bow our heads, and thank God for His grace and love, we need to make certain that we acting as God's mirrors; that we are reflecting those same things to our servers.
Justin Lee, in his book, "TORN: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs.-Christians Debate" he says,
"Sundays are the worst," one of the servers explained to me. "That's when the church crowd goes out to eat."
"What's wrong with the church crowd?" I asked.
"Oh, honey," she said. "They're usually the most demanding, and they're always the worst tippers. I guarantee you, if you see your table praying before the meal, you can mentally subtract a third from your tip."
There have also been plenty of stories circulating about people who believe that leaving gospel tracts instead of money is an acceptable alternative. I personally believe that these people fall into the category of "Too Heavenly minded to be any earthly good." Yes, I understand that spreading the word of God is really the best "tip" that you can receive. However, failure to take care of a person's earthly needs shows a lack of love, is that the Jesus that we are trying to show them?
I think there should be a shift in Christian attitudes. We should be looking at a failure to tip, as a failure to provide for God's children.
As it says in James 2:14-17:
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.So, fellow Christians, let our deeds be examples of faith. Don't just tip your servers, tip them well. Be kind, patient, and understanding. Show them the love (and forgiveness) that Christ has shown you.
Lord, again we pray, please help us to see that what we have is yours. Yours to use for your people. Help us to be more giving to others, and help us to better understand their plight. I pray that we take advantage of any opportunity to show Christ's love through our deeds. Let us be your mirrors, reflecting grace and love into the world. Amen.
If you would like some background on the story behind the receipt, please visit:
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