Tips. Gratuities. Tipping. Whatever you call it, leaving a little extra cash at the end of a meal is often both expected and appreciated by servers. If your server did a good job, you may want to tip more than the customary 15% to20%, or even beyond — especially if it's a Sunday after church. A lot more families show up after church or games, ready to eat (and maybe not always nice about it)

Here are five reasons Christians should be tipping their servers well:

1. As Christians, we're called to serve others as Christ served us

Though restaurant servers serve us, we can turn back around and help them. Tipping your server can be a ministry unto them.

Christians are called to serve others in the same way that Jesus served them (Matthew 20:25-28). When we go out to eat, we're being served by another person providing us with food and drink. Though we are paying for the food, servers take the brunt of hard-to-deal-with customers who may never even tip.

2. Our tips help support someone's family

As customers enjoy food and drink, those working hard behind the scenes to bring us our meals and refreshments might be going through a hard time. They're working hard to support their families by serving us while they serve their families at home as well. By tipping these servers well, we can help support them better to support their own families and loved ones at home.

3. Tipping your server can show the generosity of God

As Christians, we have an opportunity to show the world that we serve a generous God through our generosity.

While giving generously when we are out eating with friends or family may feel strange, this is one of the simplest means to show Jesus' love and kindness to those around us.

4. You might answer a specific prayer

There's nothing like the stress of having an important bill that you can’t pay. What if tipping your server generously answers the prayer of money to cover that bill? It blows people away when a need is met that they may not have shared with anyone. 

Think about a time in your life when that has happened to you. Didn’t it give you a sense that the Lord is actually looking out for you?

5. Tipping your server is a feedback mechanism

If a server is doing their job well, they should be rewarded. Any server needs to know what they're doing right to keep doing it in the future. Tipping sends that message loud and clear. If all you ever do is pay the bill and leave without saying anything, that server has no idea if you thought the meal and service were tremendous or if something went wrong.

The Bible instructs us that we should give generously, so why not tip well?

The Bible says a lot about money and how to handle it. The apostle Paul wrote, "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV). It is helpful to remember that money does not belong to us. We are merely stewards of God's resources. He is looking for us to make good use of them, and one way we can do that is to be good tippers.

We all need to be appreciated. Even when it is our God-given role to take care of our families, we long to be appreciated for the work we do to keep everyone alive! When we feel that appreciation, it motivates us to do what needs to be done.

Same with tipping your server. You don’t have to do it, but the gesture of appreciation can go a long way for someone who may not get appreciated anywhere else. So, next time you’re out to lunch after church, pour on the appreciation with a solid tip!

Centerpoint Church is ready to walk with you on your faith journey

At Centerpoint, our community believes in purpose and passion, and we would love to walk with you on your journey in finding yours. You can also find out what our community’s drive and passion are all about by checking out some of the past sermons we’ve posted on our website. 

Do you want to grow in your faith, or are you curious about who this Jesus guy is? You’re not alone. We encourage you to listen to our podcast series online and welcome you to come to one of our Sunday morning services in Valrico, Florida.