The poor excuses we often make to keep from being generous.

Continuing the theme of Christian Tightwads regarding tipping in restaurants, on the whole, Christians are thought of by restaurant workers to be among the absolute worst tippers of any single identifiable group. Sundays after church, Christians go out in large numbers, perhaps unaware of how poorly they are representing the gospel to a very specific and largely “un-reached” and hurting people group, their servers. This post is an attempt to inform my brothers and sisters about the horrendous damage we do to the Gospel on a regular basis.

I want to list a few of the excuses that church folk give for not tipping generously. And, at the outset, let’s get this on the table: Many restaurant servers across the U.S. are paid an hourly wage of $2.13/hr which is why a standard tip of 15-20% is expected and necessary.

Now, on to some of the excuses that we Christian saints use to keep from giving a generous tip: 

1) I don’t tip at all if I get bad service. A tip ought to be earned and deserved. If they do a really good job, then I’ll give them 10%.

Answer: Bad service is in the eye of the beholder. For some, bad service is not getting your Coke refilled before you have to ask for it. Maybe you asked your server for fifteen different things and they only had time to bring you ten. You should be happy with the ten. Besides, if you do get bad service, maybe your server was having a bad day. Have you thought to ask them how their day is going, or offer to pray for them? If you think it is deserved, give them some feedback on the receipt, but don’t cut their pay. The Jesus that I know and serve is more concerned with forgiveness and reconciliation, new life, a fresh start, than with condemnation, punishment and retribution.

Tipping only for good performance is a works-based mentality and has nothing to do with the gospel. Paul writes to Timothy (1 Timothy 6:18 (NLT) 18 Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. When we eat out, we need to be generous with our tips, because it glorifies God and it will bless rather than offend the one who is serving us.

2. After giving tithes and offerings at church, there’s not much left over for the tip.

Answer: If you don’t have enough left over to tip the standard 15-20%, then you probably shouldn’t be eating out. Maybe you should just go to McDonald’s where you won’t be expected to tip.



3. Here’s a good one which was given to a waitress at a Chili’s restaurant by a group of 6 church-goers who came in to be served after the Sunday evening service. As the waitress was taking their drink order, one of them said: “We want to tell you up front that we will not be tipping you tonight because we don’t believe in people working on Sunday.” The waitress, in shock mumbled, “Well I wouldn’t have to work on Sundays if so many church people like you didn’t come here to eat.” The manager of the restaurant overheard the customer’s remark and said, “We don’t believe in making our people work for nothing, so I will be serving you tonight.” 

Answer: Are you serious? Do I even need to dignify this Pharisaical-behavior with a response? This person has a bigger problem than she even realizes. She may not be as close to Jesus or to heaven as she thinks. It's sheer hypocrisy. So it's okay for you to go out to a restaurant and gorge yourself on Sunday, but it's not okay for the waiters and waitresses who have to be there to serve you? This kind of behavior is a stumbling block to an unbelieving world and keeps many from ever coming to Jesus. 1 Cor. 10:32-33, 32 Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God.33 I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.

4. I’m paying for the food. Thank your lucky stars that you even have a job. I don’t have to tip you. You’re already getting paid to do your job.

Answer: It would be nice if waiters and waitresses were paid a decent salary starting at $10-12. per hour, but it is what it is. They can’t exist on $2.13 an hour (that’s before taxes!). That’s why tips are considered part of their salary. Think of a working mother trying to put food on the table for her child and you’re “stiffing” her and refusing to tip her because you think she’s getting enough money? Are you serious?

5. We’ve adopted a frugal lifestyle. We’ve cut up our credit cards, we’ve drawn up a budget and we trying to pay down our debt, so we’ve had to cut down on our spending and that includes tipping.

Answer: Are you for real? Are you really going to use “Dave Ramsey” and getting out of debt as an excuse for why you can’t tip generously? If you’re really cutting down on your spending and you are now trying to live within your budget, then stop going out to restaurants. Stay home! Or go to McDonalds or Taco Bell. But don’t go to a full-service restaurant where a gratuity is expected.

6. They messed up our order and “comped” our meal so we didn’t feel like we needed to tip the server.

Answer: In all likelihood it wasn’t the server’s fault that your order was messed up, but even if it were, where is the grace and mercy? Where is the attitude of forgiveness? If the manager was nice enough to have “comped” your meal, instead of looking at this as a “freebie”, you should’ve thought, “Wow, thanks Lord, I now have even more money with which to leave a generous 20+% tip for my server.

Here’s your opportunity to be a kingdom believer, one who flies in the face of the norm--one who wants to live in such a way that unbelievers offer up praise to God for your life and witness. Jesus said in Matt. 5:16, “Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” To paraphrase that, “Let your generous tipping and kind behavior be such that restaurant employees look forward to your appearance and fight over who gets to serve you, and say to themselves, “If this is what it means to be a Christian, I just might be interested in knowing more…”

What do you think?