But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth—John 16:13 (NIV)

“You’ll like this better,” he insisted as he brushed away my concerns, “you’ll see.” The nail technician then proceeded to apply the product—which I don’t like—to my nails. This was now the third time he had confidently overridden my verbal requests with what he was sure I “would like better”. When it was all said and done, the nails were beautiful. But contrary to his confident assertions, I didn’t like it better. 

The whole situation left me feeling frustrated and disrespected. I wanted nothing more than to vent my anger and withhold a tip. But I hesitated, not knowing if this is something I should do.

Self-advocacy has always challenged me. It seems to contrast scriptures which encourage us to prioritize the rights and needs of others (Philippians 2:3-4). Yet when we pay for services, we rightly expect to receive what we requested. So, what should Christians do in these situations? Is it acceptable to adjust our tip for inadequate service?

This is one of the many gray areas we face in our Christian walk. No Scripture speaks specifically to this question, so there is no definitive right or wrong answer. And believers are divided on this issue—as a quick Google search on the topic will show. In cases like these, we have to rely on the Spirit to help us:

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. (John 16:13 NIV)

In the heat of the moment, I didn’t have time to process everything with the Holy Spirit. But I felt prompted to accept some of the responsibility for my nails. I should have been more forceful and insisted on what I wanted. Instead, I let the nail technician believe the change was okay.  I finally decided to tip him my customary amount. He had worked hard and the nails were admittedly beautiful. But then I explained my feelings.

“The nails are beautiful,” I told him, “but I’m sorry—I don’t like them better than the original design. And I really don’t like this product on my nails.” 

“Okay,” he nodded, “next time we will do it your way.”

I had decided to trust the promptings of the Holy Spirit. But as I left the nail salon, a nagging question plagued my mind. Did I do the right thing?

When I took time to sit with the Holy Spirit and ask for clarity, these words from Jesus popped into my mind, “‘So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets'” (Matthew 7:12 NIV).

“If the situation were reversed,” I wondered, “what would I want the nail technician to do for me?” After some additional meditation, I knew: I would want him to treat me fairly and to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

I didn’t realize it at the time, but that day the Spirit led me to the right decision. As Spirit-led people, we don’t always immediately know what is best. But we can learn to trust the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Later, when we process the situation with Him, He will lead us to a deeper understanding. The key is to remain open and attentive to His prompts. 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Help us to trust His guidance through the promptings He gives. May we learn to process our actions and decisions with Him so we can grow in our ability to do Your will. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.