Christians Are Cheap

I was talking with a lady who used to waitress and she was saying how much she hated working on Sundays and that she would rather do the bartending or count cash than deal with customers in the restaurant on Sundays.

I've noticed that a lot of Christians go to restaurants after church on Sundays. I've also noticed that I'd much rather share a meal at a restaurant with non-Christians than with Christians. That sounds so bad, but it's the truth. I'm embarrassed to be associated with such misers. Let me try to explain.

Sometimes when I shared a meal with Christians (at a restaurant), everyone makes sure that they get separate bills (usually after the waitress has already brought the one huge bill to the table) or try to make sure everything is calculated down to the last penny (including the tip -- if they feel so led to give one) to make sure they are not overpaying in the slightest.

When I go with a group of non-Christians, I've found that everyone just sort of throws in some money in the middle and figures out approximately what they would get back. And if it's a group that gets together often, sometimes one person puts in a little more, and the next time someone else does. It's not a big deal if you don't get every cent owing to you.

I feel that way when I go for coffee with friends, too. If I get the bill -- or they get the bill -- I'm not keeping tabs of who paid last. It all works out in the end. And if it doesn't - so what? The money isn't mine, anyway. I don't get to take it with me to heaven. And if there is fellowship around the table, isn't the money worth the investment into relationships which is eternal? People last forever, money doesn't.