June 21, 2012 ~ Generosity

It is good to be merciful and generous.
       Those who are fair in their business
 will never be defeated.
       Good people will always be remembered.

Psalm 112:5-6

Thoughts~

Since Christ is generous then I want to be a copy cat and model my giving after Him. I want to be remembered for generosity and goodness and not stinginess or rudeness.

Being a generous tipper is one way that Christians can make a quiet faith statement. When I was in my twenties I had a lot of Four Spiritual Law booklets and I would always leave one with my tip. Even back then I left more than the customary tip because one day I overheard waitresses talking about Christian diners after church on Sunday. They said they tipped horribly but always wanted to leave a tract or talk about Jesus. 

Well, I made up my mind right then that I would try to tip the best I could, be thankful and share my appreciation.  Later a friend told me that she likes to say “thank you for the great service” to the server or “thank you for making my dinner” to the cook if she saw him or her. Together we decided that we would start a “GAK” Campaign, being generous, appreciate and kind to our servers, sales clerks and customer service workers. And before long, we were known not just for our generosity but for our faith in the little town I lived in. It was for the glory of God, not so we would be popular or praised. But still, we did make a difference and the wait staff didn’t dread serving us.

Being the human that I am, I admit that when I get a horrible server that is rude and forgetful, I am not so generous. I think it’s time for me to raise the bar and try “GAK” with them.  Perhaps they had a horrible day at home, a child is sick or personal issues are piling up. And maybe they are just rude. But perhaps I can make a difference. I vow to do better.

Actions~

It’s fun to start a GAK Campaign and you can do it alone or with a group. Agree to be as generous as possible, appreciative and kind to your servers, etc. These days I try to leave a small encouragement card with my tip. I will admit I do not always have them on hand and I need to be more diligent about keeping them to hand out. 

You can make cards on your computer or purchase ‘pass it on’ cards at Christian bookstores or on line. This is my favorite one to leave with my tip because it’s an effective attention grabber and most chuckle when they read it. On the back I write out John 3:16.

Sometimes I leave this one that I made.  On the back is John 3:16.

The GAK principle is easy to remember.

Generous - Proverbs 22:9
Generous people will be blessed

Appreciative -1 Thessalonians 5:12

Appreciate those who diligently labor among you

Kind – Philippians 4:5

Let people see your kindness

Pray~

Lord, I confess my selective generosity.  I want to be more like You and be free with my giving to everyone.  Help me be generous, appreciative and kind to everyone.

Trusting in Him,

Becky

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