ENTITLEMENT, EXCUSES AND ECONOMICS

ENTITLEMENT, EXCUSES AND ECONOMICS
One of my first professors in University was a microeconomics professor who liked to say “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”. That has stuck with me all these years. Everything has a cost, everything. My love costs something: when I love I often say “no” to me and “yes” to others. My affections cost something: what I give to one thing I cannot give to another – my resources are finite. You get the drift. And guess what, eating costs money!

We like to eat dinner out, and my attitude towards tipping was initially developed by those I respected – I watched how they approached tipping and followed their example. Often, that example was one of tipping for excellent service. If the service was great, we tipped. If not, we tipped less, a sort of sliding scale. Tipping was a matter of personal judgment of the service received. Interestingly, while I might be inclined to tip more or less, I have never even considered walking away without paying for the meal I have eaten. The food had been purchased and prepared for me. The location of the meal had been prepared for me. Even when I have not particularly enjoyed a meal, I have always paid for it. I may never go to that restaurant again, but when I do choose to eat their food, I pay for it. Tipping then tops things off, showing my appreciation for the service rendered by the staff.

I want to suggest this scenario as a picture of our relationship to the Church, painting with broad strokes, so bear with me. When we attend a particular church, we become “patrons” of that establishment. We choose to go there and to eat off their particular menu. We avail ourselves of their services, their “spiritual food” and their hospitality. Why then do we think nothing of “skipping out on the bill”? (Here is where the broad strokes come in. We don’t “purchase” anything in the Church with our tithe– it is an analogy of spiritual life). We partake of what the Church offers, but fail to bring our tithes. Maybe we will leave an occasional “tip” of goodwill, but week in and week out we choose to come, to take part, and to not contribute to the overhead of the establishment? It takes money to keep a building open, the lights on, the place clean, staffed, atmosphere set. There’s no getting around that. We wouldn’t do that to any other establishment!

Perhaps we get around it by saying that it is a “spiritual establishment”. But it resides in the natural. Does our spiritual life not need natural sustenance?

Perhaps we get around it by saying that “such-and-such church” or “that ministry’ is more deserving of our money. Then go eat there! Where you eat, that is where you pay the bill. I don’t eat at Applebee’s and then pay the bill at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse – I pay Applebee’s. If I am sustained and nourished in a particular house of worship, then that is where I bring my tithes.

Perhaps we get around it by saying that the money belongs to, and goes back to God, so we can give wherever we felt “led” to give. Where do we feel “led” to be connected to the Body (God)? Where do we feel “led” to come and eat? That is where our tithe should go. If we aren’t getting fed where we are, or we don’t like the food served, then by all means change where we eat, but then pay where we eat. To do otherwise lacks integrity.

Giving is not limited to one place, but for certain it is right to bring your tithes to the house that is feeding you.

To do otherwise is ungrateful, unthankful, arrogant and entitled. How do you see it?

By the way, as I’ve matured, my tipping habits have changed. I have chosen to live a generous life and enjoy blessing the hard working staff where we eat. It would have to be truly terrible service for the tip to dip. I tip generously. I try to engage with the wait staff and verbalize my appreciation, backing it up with my money at the end of the meal. Whether it is acknowledged or not, it matters to me. I am blessed to be a blessing. And as much as I like to receive good things, I want to give that to others as it is in my power to do so. What kind of patron are you?