Generous Tips In Jesus’ Name Brings Blessing To Servers

So, have you heard about the relatively new tipping trend occurring today?   Patrons of various restaurants around the nation are leaving outlandishly large tips for their server.  The charge receipt usually has the message, “God Bless”, or “Jesus Loves You”, or clearly, “Tips For Jesus”.  Instagram’s “Tips For Jesus” page is full of receipt photos from shocked, but pleased, servers who have received one such tip.  The largest recorded tip to date was recently left to a bartender in Phoenix, Arizona.  The customer first left a $1,000 tip on a $330.00 bill.   Then he decided to order something more.  He challenged his friend, “Let’s make this fun!  Put 10K on this one.”  His friend met the challenge which netted Clint, their server, a whooping $11,000 on a total bill of $419.89.  Outrageous generosity!  The charge card receipt included the words “Tips for Jesus”.   It warms my heart that Clint shared the enormous tip with the rest of the staff at the restaurant and still had plenty left to take care of his car issues.

Generosity usually breeds generosity.   Those who have plenty leave something extra as a blessing for someone else.  Kind heart-ed receivers pass on the blessing.  Does everyone who receives the huge tips need the money?  Only God knows.  Is every giver a true, “all in” follower of Jesus?  Only God knows.  Does it really matter?  I don’t think so.   It is fun to give and people are mentioning Jesus’ name in a way that is non-offensive yet powerful.

The Bible talks a lot about giving.  For instance, Deuteronomy 15:10 says, paraphrased, because of your unselfish giving, the Lord will bless you in all your work and in all you do.  Here is Luke 6:38‘s take on giving, paraphrased, giving brings a return.  You get to set the standard of what you receive by what you give. And, consider 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, paraphrased, God loves a cheerful giver and will make all grace abound to you, that giver.  I don’t know of any place in God’s word that  stipulates one must be a Christian to gain the stated benefit of giving.

God takes note of those who give generously.  It pleases Him.  He smiles and gets the glory by the short, pointed message the various charge receipts proclaim.  John 12:32 encourages us to lift Jesus for the world to see.  This new trend uniquely promotes the goodness and generosity of God by lifting up the name of Jesus.  A lot of people are seeing His name and seeds are thereby taking root.

What would you do if you had enough extra money that you could tip or give with abandon?  How fun would that be?  What if you started small and saw Jesus bless your effort?    Why, you might even one day end up with your receipt’s picture on Instagram’s Tips for Jesus page.