When I have a some extra time on my hands, I love to slip into the local Barnes and Noble, grab a few homemaking and recipe books, and sit in the little café. I thumb through the pages filled with trendy and chic, yet warm and homey decor. I read of lovely dinner and tea parties, hospitable guest rooms. In my head I imagine bright, welcoming entry ways, I hear laughter pouring from the dining room packed with dear friends, I see relaxation and ease over endless cups of coffee. I leave inspired, and I think “I can’t wait to have my own home.”
It’s true, I am absolutely looking forward to having my own home someday and welcoming others in with open arms and an open heart. I’m drawn to homemaking and hospitality, and using it to provide for others an environment that invites them to sit down and stay a while. But what I sometimes forget is that hospitality is not just something you do- it’s something you can exude from your inner-most being. Hospitality does not mean dinner parties and a well-decorated home. Hospitality is a lifestyle that is dedicated to placing the needs of others before our own.
The Lord calls us to live a hospitable lifestyle-
“Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” Romans 12:13
“Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” 1 Peter 4:9
“Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” Romans 12:10
I love the picture of hospitality that Jesus paints when he tells the Pharisees the parable of the great banquet:
“When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” Luke 14:12-14
Jesus makes an important point here- biblical hospitality is meant to be shown to more people than our family and friends. Yes, it is gracious and wonderful to show hospitality to them- but biblical hospitality takes the poor, the lame, the blind, the crippled, and places them in the seat of honor.
It’s no surprise that Jesus himself was the greatest example of hospitality. Yet, Jesus did not display his hospitable spirit by inviting people to dinners and parties. Instead, He showed gracious hospitality when he fed the multitudes (Mark 6:30-44). He examplified hospitality through provision, meeting the basic needs of others.
I began taking an interest in biblical hospitality when I heard an interview with Francis Chan a few years ago. After stepping down as head pastor from a mega church he’d been with for 17 years, he sold his home and gave away 90% of his income. He moved into a much smaller home, and opened his doors to other in need. Sometimes, as many as 7 houseguests take shelter under his family’s roof. On this topic Chan says, “The concept of downsizing so that others might upgrade is biblical, beautiful...and nearly unheard of. We either close the gap or don't take the words of the Bible literally.”
I was, and still am, so inspired by Chan’s incredible example of biblical hospitality and humility. When I read the scriptures and hear examples like this, I am reminded of the true meaning of hospitality.
It’s easy to get caught up in the glamorous kind of hospitality the world displays: big homes with the most beautiful furnishings and decor, dinner parties and backyard barbecues. This brand of hospitality is focused on ourselves and what we have...that is called entertaining.
Shauna Niequist, author of Bread and Wine, wrote: "The heart of hospitality is when people leave your home they should feel better about themselves, not better about you."
Authentic, biblical hospitality is a position of the heart. It is motivated by love that shows itself through selflessness and humility. It seeks to bring honor to others. It pursues the less fortunate and invites them in- not only into a home, but into a warm heart ready to minister the sweet words of the Gospel.
As I mentioned earlier, many of us are not homeowners and cannot invite others to take shelter at this point in our lives. But what can you do to show hospitality without a home?
You can be hospitable when you stay and linger to pray and talk with that person who needs a listening ear- even when the tasks are piling up.
You can work with organizations who provide hospitality: rescue missions, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, battered women’s shelters. Even your church’s welcoming committee. A genuine smile goes a long way!
You can bring packages and dinners to families you know are in need.
Having an open heart is the most effective way to show hospitality to others.
Biblical hospitality requires no home, friends.
All for His Royal Kingdom,
Sammie Marie
P.S If you live in the Hampton Roads Area, Monday, February 24th there will be a great event for you to practice your hospitality at: Hands Together.
“Hands Together is a one-day, one-stop access to resources available in the community to help out neighbors in need. The event is designed to not only help our neighbors in need, but also educate our community and build a community of compassion.”
I worked at the Hands Together last year, and it is one of the purest examples of the gospel I have seen. I encourage you to make it out to this important event for our community! You can find further information here: http://www.williamsburgcc.com/ht2/ Hope to see you there!
Image Via: What Katie Ate