What Would Jesus Tip?

Travis and I had an interesting interaction this week. After realizing it had been 14 weeks since having our hair cut, we decided it was time to venture out and use the Great Clips coupons we had received in the mail. We arrived there a little after 10am to find two stylists busy with two adorable little boys, and no one else waiting in line. The boys finished up, got their suckers, and we were next.

While my head was in the wash bowl, and between shampooing and rinsing, I caught bits and pieces of the small talk going on between Travis and the other stylist. You know the typical silence filler questions they love to ask. Where are you from? Do you go to school? Do you have any kids? Etc. I’m thinking to myself, “This lady doesn’t know what she’s in for.“ Pretty soon I hear, “What’s Seminary?” My husband explains that it is a school where you train to be a pastor. Then I hear, “So do you have to be good?” I think this was a reference to drinking alcohol as Travis was explaining very briefly some biblical views on the subject and his personal convictions. I love how my husband can be truthful but kind and polite at the same time. She was clearly intrigued.

The discussion soon turned to our kids and I joined in from across the room as I was now in the chair getting my hair trimmed. She soon talked about her son and a friend from high school she remembered went to Bible college. All in all it was a great conversation. My girl was strangely quiet. I really don’t know what she might have been thinking.

Since my cut was finished first, I proceeded to pay for both of ours. As per usual I rounded the amount up a bit to allow for a small tip for both ladies. We said our goodbyes and headed out the door. In the car Travis and I continued our discussion of this encounter. That’s when I realized something I didn’t know about my husband. He tips hairstylists 20% - the same as at a restaurant. Travis explained that these people don’t typically make that much hourly and depend on tips in the same way waiters and waitresses do. It hadn’t really occurred to me. I’m not sure where my brain has been all these years. My measly two dollars always seemed to cover it. I guess I was all about the coupons and saving some money. Thinking back though to our trying to be a witness of some sort to these two ladies and calculating the amount of the pitiful tip I left them I began to be ashamed. Here after all our effort to be Christ-like, to shine for Him, I leave a lousy tip.

So we went to the ATM and doubled back to the salon. The chatty lady was surprised to see me again so soon. I explained that I didn’t leave a very good tip for them and we wanted them to have some more. She came around the counter to hug me (which is great because I’m a hugger) thanked me and invited us to come back soon. I told her we would bring the kids in next time.

I suppose some people might say all this doesn’t matter, but I didn’t want this young woman to remember us as the guy going to Seminary whose wife is a lousy tipper. What does that say about Christ? What we say and do (or don’t say and don’t do) is a reflection on Him. It’s sometimes hard to remember that our lives are on display and the world is watching. The media only likes to key in on what the Church is doing wrong. But on a daily basis we each individually have the opportunity to show those around us who Jesus really is. I pray our actions and our words say the same thing. And when they don’t, I pray we take the opportunity to humble ourselves, meet an awkward situation with graciousness, and do or say what we should have in the first place.

1Peter 2:12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

“excellent” purest, highest, noblest kind of goodness. Lovely, winsome, gracious, noble, honorable.
“day of visitation” redemption, Peter was teaching that when the grace of God visits the heart of an unbeliever, he will respond with saving faith and glorify God because he remembers the testimony of believers he had observed. (MacArthur Study Bible notes.)