Your Billboard

Have you ever worked in customer service?

Maybe you waited tables, worked a retail counter, or answered phones. If you have, you've probably experienced an impatient customer, someone who lacked empathy, or perhaps left a tip that made you wonder if your effort mattered at all.

Or maybe you've been on the other side.

Have you ever been that customer?

My daughter waited tables for several years, and we heard plenty of stories. One evening, she waited on a large group that openly identified themselves as Christians. The restaurant was short-staffed because of the late hour, and despite doing everything she could, she was met with impatience, criticism, and very little appreciation.

She wasn't the only one serving that night who noticed.

As we talked about it afterward, one thought kept coming to mind.

Their actions became a billboard.

Whether fair or unfair, people often associate what they experience with what we represent. A single interaction can shape how someone views a company, a profession, a family, a team, or even a faith.

Someone might walk away saying,

"I remember that company..."

"I remember that manager..."

"I remember those Christians..."

Right or wrong, people connect our behavior with the things we claim to value.

That's a sobering thought.

Most of you know where I stand in my faith, and so does my daughter. Writing this isn't easy. But that's exactly why it's important.

The foundation of Christianity wasn't on trial that evening.

The billboard was.

The same principle applies to all of us.

Everything we do becomes a billboard for something bigger than ourselves—our family, our workplace, our leadership, our community, and yes, our faith.

So here's a question worth reflecting on:

If someone formed an opinion based solely on the way you treated them today, what would your billboard say?