Your statement.
Because the Word of God teaches that all true believers in Jesus Christ will GIVE EVIDENCE that they are His. As soon as a person puts His trust in Christ He is born again—the old man (the old self, all that we were in Adam) dies—he is identified with Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection; he is a “new creation,” and the old man has been crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin Romans 6, and he has been raised up with Him to walk (live) in newness of life.
The N.T. is full of many Scriptures that clearly say that the new man has a new life in Christ, with a different walk (walk = way of living). The walk is EVIDENCE of the believer’s relationship with the Father through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
So, how to explain your “experiences” as a waiter, etc.?
You “see” and immediately judge that these people you see (my, my, why are you looking, it’s supposed to be between them and God) are Christians who somehow “cheat” the people who wait on them, but you yourself are so great, you double tip them.
Well, #1, they may or may not be Christians. You are, afer all, just looking at an incident per person, not a lifestyle (walk) of a person. #2, you don’t know if they are a true Christian or not. In fact, you don’t know anything about the person being waited upon, or the server.
Though at times I can tell a difference in a short meeting with someone, sometimes I might not know for a while. I don't "feel" christians like force users in Star Wars.
My statements had to do with Christians in restaurants being CHEAP, and waiters and waitresses not respecting "christians" because of their cheapness.
Its terrible when restaurant staff dislike "christians" because of the way they act in restaurants. Workers are there to make money, not to be preached to. And when non-christians are more generous than christians in tips, thats pathetic. At the VERY LEAST there should be no perceived difference. In actuality Christians should stand out as more gracious and generous.
I for one want to touch those around me in the slightest ways, from a smile or simple gesture. Its those that register with people, EVEN IF they don't realize it at the time. In the short term, it might be a small simple blessing to them. In the longer term, it gives me more credibility to them when I tell them of the love of Christ. To another christian, hopefully it strengthens them, knowing another brother.
At Christmas, I find the holiday season WON-DER-FUL. I try to embrace it like a child. I WANT Christmas to be special, not just to me, but to others. As adults, people get too overwhelmed with the hustle and bustle. What should be happy and gracious, becomes drudgery and anger. Wait staff end up on the receiving end of this. I CHOOSE to be the opposite. I want to be joyful and gracious (like my Lord), to be a light during a dark time.
I never know if or when I might be used, or even how. Am I to be a seed planter, or a waterer, or maybe even a harvester? Thats not my call. All I can do is be available.
Whether Jesus was born in December or June or Mearch, makes no difference. The WORLD celebrates Christmas on the 24 and 25 of December. And I want people to associate my Lords birth for the graciousness it was.
And maybe, just maybe, I'll have the chance to share with them the REAL story of Gods grace. And maybe my actions will make it more palatable and believable to them.
At the very least, when the world was beating up on that person, ONE person stood out from the crowd, and LIVED "Merry Christmas", and brought some warmth to them.
Who knows, maybe someday in heaven, someone will come up and tell me they knew I was a christian BY WHAT I DID, and that what I did watered the seed that someone else planted.
Sounds to me like a pretty good blessing for tomorrow, for just a few bucks today.
Makes me think of the movie Schindlers List, where near the end of the movie Oscar Schindler wept and grieved over the things that HE HAD, that they could have "bought" the lives of more people. $4 can buy a Bible, $30 can buy 3 months of food in a third world country, my $100 plus the $100's from others can support a missionary, who can show others, who would not otherwise know of Gods love.