ODJ: here’s a tip
May 25, 2011
Generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity (Isaiah 32:8).
READ: 2 Corinthians 9:1-11
How does the after-church crowd tip?” I asked the waitress. If my question lacked subtlety, her response possessed even less. “They’re the worst!” she said emphatically. “None of us wants to work the lunch shift on Sunday.”
That dialog helped me understand my pastor’s comment as he dismissed us following a service. “You are now entering the mission field,” he reminded us. “You are representing Jesus. If you go out to eat, tip generously.”
In many cultures, tipping is a tradition that shows appreciation for a service rendered. But in my country, tipping at restaurants is not just a nice gesture—it’s how the waiter or waitress makes a living! Yet I’ve heard stories of people who have left gospel tracts in lieu of a tip. Hmm. Why would a waiter want to serve a God who has followers like that?
In 2 Corinthians 9, the apostle Paul addressed the issue of generous giving. The context is about a wealthy church in Corinth giving to a church that had very little. But the larger principle applies to individuals, because Paul made the gift personal. “You must each decide in your heart how much to give,” he told them (v.7).
Generosity ought to be one of the defining characteristics of believers in Jesus. That doesn’t mean we’re careless with our money, but stinginess reveals a deep-seated poverty of spirit. God promises to reward those who are generous. “You will be enriched in every way so you can always be generous,” Paul noted (v.11).
“A person who is nice to you but is not nice to the waiter is not a nice person,” wrote humorist Dave Barry. As followers of Christ, we’re not called to be “nice.” But we’re called to be good, to be loving, and to be generous in Jesus’ name —Tim Gustafson
What are some ways you can be generous? Who can you bless today with a specific, generous act?
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I wonder where the writer lives? In my country, it isn’t common to give tips. But I believe in the generosity principle, we as Christians should know and do it in our daily life.
Hey Yoan! Tim Gustafson is from the USA. It’s a practice there to give tips after you’re done with your meal – but it’s not the law!
So, let say I visit USA and I go to a restaurant to have lunch and leave without a tip. Would they most probably talk bad about me in their hearts? Haha…