Gratuity Becoming of a Christian

What's the difference between Christians and canoes? Canoes tip.

Anyone who's ever waited tables at some point in their lives usually ends up being a good tipper. The same is true for me. I have no trouble leaving generous tips because I know too well the low hourly wage of waitstaff. I actually enjoy big tipping. Other Christians, however, seem to have trouble letting go of the extra dollar or two that would make for a decent gratuity.

Relevant Magazine has a good read on Christians and tipping from Daniel Holland. Daniel, a student and waiter, has experienced first hand what his colleagues refer to derogatorily as the "Church table."

I ran around for the better part of an hour getting them dozens of teas, getting their kids another egg and wiping up where they had spilled their drinks because their parents were too into whatever it was they were talking about. They all split their checks, but they didn't sit in any kind of order; they were all scattered about and expected me to know without asking who was together and who was separate. On top of this they were rude and acted as though I was an annoyance to them, unless they needed something.

They didn't even leave 10 percent. And for a person who lives off of the income from tips, that hurt.

I'll bet if you listen closely, you can hear the whisper of a collective groan every Sunday afternoon rising from restaurants across America saying, "the after-church crowd." So before you head off to the Golden Corral remember the Golden Rule: "Do to others what you would have them do to you." And as for tipping, I won't go into Scripture on this subject. There really isn't any. It's just that God is so generous to us. And that makes me want to be generous too.

HT: Justin Taylor

Comments

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1. Jessica Burke said the following at 5:41 PM on Nov 15:

I personally have never served tables before, but my husband has spent the last two years serving while he is a seminary student. I have heard too many similar stories from him. He once had a bill for over $100 and his tip was a tract. I feel so sad for the non-Christian server that gets that type of tip. I can only imagine how much that would turn an unbeliever off from the gospel.

The president of the seminary where my husband is a student has spoken some wise evangelical words about this. Essentially, he told the seminary students that when you go out to eat, it is your duty and pleasure as a Christian to serve the server. The easiest and most effective way to serve the server is to tip them. And he also said to tip them not because of what they did for you, but who you are! So if we consider our identity as Christians, we should always tip extravagantly. This has reformed my husband's and my opinion of tipping. Also, my husband tries hard to remember that it not just his job to serve his tables, but it is his Christian duty to serve them. So he makes it a goal to serve every table to the best of his ability regardless of the tip potential and their behavior towards him.

2. Kristy said the following at 9:09 PM on Nov 15:

Amen! Stinginess is not good stewardship. And when Christians do overtly Christian things (like bowing heads and praying aloud before the meal) the only correct thing to do is provide a decent tip even if the service wasn't pleasing.

3. Melanie said the following at 7:03 AM on Nov 16:

Generosity in general is something that isn't often addressed in churches, and is especially hard to adapt to after college- for years, you've been told not to give "because you're a student", and suddenly it's a shock when the conviction comes that yes, you need to be giving to God's work. I'm also sure I'm not the only one who grew up attending churches where the offering plate would pass, and most people would lay a single dollar bill in it, then pray for God to "multiply".

4. Tim said the following at 7:32 AM on Nov 16:

I frequently share my philosophy with people: an extra dollar means little to me but much to a waiter. I do my best to tip generously, and I try to encourage others to do the same.

5. Maggi said the following at 10:06 AM on Nov 16:

I remember when I waitressed getting a small tip for a large table and a tract that looked like a 20-dollar bill. I was saddened and glad that I, not one of the other waitresses who were not Christians, got such a bad tip from obviously Christian people. I wondered, "What must servers who aren't Christians think of a tip like that?"

On the flip side, when I was with a good-sized (12-18) group of friends from college, each one of us threw in a couple dollars and writing messages (Jesus loves you) and pictures on the napkins, and we had fun knowing that our server would be blessed.

6. Felicia said the following at 10:10 AM on Nov 16:

I think that even college students should give. If you have a job, certainly tithe off your earnings, as I believe every Christian should do regardless of their financial state. I say this not as a rule we should follow, but because God calls us to it and He will bless us in doing it. I also think that even those college students who don't have jobs and are getting through college on loans or other means should give generously of their time and other resources. It's certainly not always easy, but those habits you form in college, whether good or bad will go with you when you graduate; it has definitely been true for me.

As far as the tipping goes, if you are going to spend the money to eat out, then do your part in blessing that person who has served you.

7. Anne Schmidt said the following at 12:49 PM on Nov 16:

Want to know the most effective way to turn someone off from God? Leave a lousy tip and a track.

As a waitress I spent a summer trying to show my fellow servers that Christians can be nice people. Meanwhile I tried not to grow bitter as my brothers and sisters in the Lord treated me worse than the swearing, heavy drinkers who came in later at night did.

Thats right, I'd rather wait on Zacheus and his friends, because not only will they tip me well, but they will be kind, friendly, and loving.

8. Motte said the following at 3:01 PM on Nov 16:

Before posting on Christians and tipping I had never heard of Christians leaving tracts in lieu of tips. Like many of you, I think that would have the exact opposite effect than intended. However, it is true that our Lord can use anything to draw people to himself -- even cheap, rude Christians who insultingly leave behind the Truth of Jesus Christ as gratuity.

9. Marty said the following at 3:44 PM on Nov 16:

I concur as a pizza guy. The mantra that goes hand in hand with non-tipping Christians is "the bigger the house the smaller the tip" and if the big house has a new suv with an ichthus,... forget it.

10. Leah said the following at 8:32 PM on Nov 16:

Tipping is not even a way of life in Australia. If someone were to leave extra money with the bill money, the idea that it would be a tip would probably be the last idea on a waiter's mind.

I guess I can't make a comment on the effect of tips on waitstaff in the US as it's obviously a different culture. But I would see it as having absolutely no effect in Australia.

However, something different does concern me- from the post, there are obviously Christians working on Sundays, and then griping when they don't get tipped. Why are they working on a Sunday in the first place? Since when do we make a living on God's day of rest?

(I understand some people in the workforce, like policemen, firemen, hospital staff, ambulance staff, other emergency personnel and defence personnel obviously have an exceptional duty.)

11. Harry Stam said the following at 7:22 PM on Feb 25:

Please exhibit Christ in your conduct at all times, Servers do work hard, If you leave an exra dollar, It could make their day and also show that besides the previously aforementioned attributes of Christ which come to mind; We should also show his generosity.