GOING OUT TO EAT

By Ryan Hicks

Colossians 4:5
5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

I have been out to eat with many people claiming to be saved over the years and have seen that it can really shed some light into the soul of a person. Besides fat bellied people denying Christ and eating to gluttonous excess (Proverbs 23:20-21; Romans 16:18; Philippians 3:19; Titus 1:12-13), there is also the problem of people being poor tippers to the people that served them their meals.

2 Corinthians 9:6-11
6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.
10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)
11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

I even had one dear brother that was beaten into not giving a tip by his wife because she interpreted his giving a nice tip to a female waitress as some threat to her and thought it was some attempt to pick the woman up! So her incredible insecurity and his wimpy inability to assure her of his love and faithfulness left them being horrifically bad tippers and ruining their witness. Listen people, DO NOT go out to eat if you cannot afford a tip better than the world would give! What witness can you have if you talk things of eternal importance to the waiter/waitress, but then show a greedy and stingy heart? How can they believe your God owns "the cattle on a thousand hills" (Psalms 50:10) when you behave as if you are the child of a pauper?

You can be sure that the sinner is watching you. They are looking to see if you are just another self-proclaimed Christian that is cheap and powerless. I have seen people turn away desert and tell the waitress, "We want to save the money we would have spent on desert to be a bigger blessing to you." I assure you that most of those waiters have not seen something like that in their entire careers. Most people are eating out and filling their fat bellies with no concern for anyone but their greedy selves.

Think of what a powerful witness that would be and how you could easily bring a conversation about your sacrificing something for them into the real sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ for sinners? If you are faithful, God will lead you in how you can have an enjoyable meal and be a good witness before man and God. "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without." Have proper manners and do not bark orders at the wait staff. Be a shining example of Christ's love and patience instead of some loud-mouthed fool saying dumb things like, "You are supposed to serve me, so get me another piece of bread." If you see a waiter or waitress being treated badly take the time to cheer them up and show the love of God. This most holy faith is not something merely for Sunday, it is your life if you are truly saved and you should be showing forth that faith each day by the leading of the Spirit of God.