As Christians - How are we in public?
Yesterday I had the wonderful privilege to have lunch with a good writer-friend. Before meeting, we had a discussion about Christian behavior in such places as restaurants. I have cringed watching a fellow Christian brother or sister treat a server with rudeness and disrespect. In our area, when the servers were asked which day they least enjoyed working, they answered Sundays. They report that the "church crowd" tend to be the rudest and they tip the least.
This type of reputation shames me. Our family has always tried to show respect to our server and tip on grace. We are creatures of habit, so we tend to go to the same restaurant every Sunday after church. This has actually been a good idea. We have built a relationship with the owner and the servers. They know if they have anything they want us to pray for, they can ask. Servers often stop by to tell us what is happening in their family or at their church.
As Christians, we are called to take Christ to everyone and treat all through God's love not our judgmental attitudes. Next time you're in a restaurant try asking your server if he/she has a prayer request you might pray for when you pray over your meal. After they pick themselves up off the floor, you might be surprised how you can encourage them just by that simple request.
Let's strive to show the love of Christ everywhere we go, for "they will know we are Christians by our love."