This tip is for You

I bless God for His revelations. He is showing me who I am. It is not about others. In order for me to minister and be effective I first must be aligned with His purpose.


I do not know anyone who does not frequent restaurants at least once a month. Everyone I know enjoys an occasional dinner or lunch without having to prepare the meal. When we visit such an establishment it is customary, and in some places required, the server or servers are tipped. We give them money outside of the price of our meal. Even when we visit a salon for a hairstyle or haircut, we usually tip the stylist. It is even customary for a preacher to be given a 'tip' or additional offering for performing weddings and other services outside his or her normal duties. Why do we tip people for doing their job? Why do we tip a server at a restaurant for taking my ordering and bring my food? Oh yes, and keeping my glass full of my chosen beverage? Is this not why they are there? Isn't a stylist at a salon to cut and style hair? If they were not why are they there? What makes them deserve this additional "payment"?


God gives us life. He enables us to breathe, see, think, hear, walk, and even enables our heart to beat. He enables our ability to speak, reason, understand, and yes, even type. Because of our ability that He has given us, we are able to have jobs and provide for ourselves and others. Because of His presence in our lives we love and receive love from others. Does He have a requirement to do these things? No. Is it His job to make us breathe, see, and think? Does He have to do these things? No. At any moment He can remove His hand from our lives? I mean, really, think about it. Are we worthy of such attention? What makes us better than the one who cannot breathe without help? What makes us better than the one who has a chemical imbalance and is not able to reason or think clearly? Do our abilities make us better than those who are different? No. Do we have the same challenges they do? No.


God blesses us with life. He gives us the essence of life with His love. And yet, we struggle to recognize Him for it. The bible states we should give him a tenth of our income. In most restaurants the tip is fifteen to twenty percent. God requires ten percent. And we struggle to be obedient. We say if we give Him that amount out of ALL of our income we would lack in other areas. I have noticed the same amounts we are afraid to give Him are used for pleasure items (restaurants, excess clothes, music, apps, video games, excess shoes, hair appointments, nail appointments, etc). Are these necessary items? No. Is God a necessary item? Yes!


God. I repent for taking advantage of Your presence in my life. I repent for not putting my faith into action. I repent for allowing fear to cloud my judgment. Thank You for Your patience. In Jesus name, Amen.