Hospitality

Hospitality- It’s something I definitely need to work on. I mean, I think I am a good hostess (I hope), but as far as having people over, WE ARE HORRIBLE! My Hubby always says that it’s supposed to be my job, and although I know he is joking, he is right! I need to be the one to make dates with others to have them over.

I actually really like to have people over, but as far as planning in advance, I stink at it. I always think on the same day, that maybe would have been a good day to have people over. Well, for most people, that is too late!

So I decided to look around and see what I could find in the Bible about hospitality.

1Pe 4:9-10 Be hospitable to one another without murmurings, each one as he received a gift, ministering it to yourselves as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

I looked at different versions on what they say in place of “be hospitable”. Some versions said “Welcome people“ , “welcome each other“, “use hospitality“, and one said “open your homes. “ I also looked up some commentary on this, one person said “use hospitality or be lovers of strangers…” That is a good lead into this verse….

Heb 13:1-2 Let brotherly love continue. Do not be forgetful of hospitality, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

If you have time, some reference verse to this would be Genesis 18:3, and Genesis 19:2. So, we could actually be entertaining angels. It’s hard though, in these current days, to think of bringing in strangers… But it is not irrelevant if it is in the Bible!

1Tim 3:2 A church leader must be without fault; he must have only one wife, be sober, self-controlled, and orderly; he must welcome strangers in his home; he must be able to teach;… (similar Titus 1:8)

There again, although speaking of a man being a church leader… what are WE again? We are the helper of our husbands! If we manage the household, don’t we also help organize happenings in the home?

Gen 2:18 Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."

Hospitality is something I am going to work on! If I am going to be a good helper for my husband, I need to work on this also. And if my husband is going to be “known in the gates” (Proverbs 31:23), then the Bible says I am to help him!

Besides, it isn’t that we should think we HAVE TO have people over, it really is fun to have people over! You really can be a minister to the body, when you know who you are ministering to.

Are you as hospitable as YOU would like to be?

Lord- You know my excuses. You know also that I want to be who YOU want me to be. Please help me not to hesitate to entertain. Help OUR hospitality to minister to people, because we also want to help win people for YOUR army. Help us to be a reflection of You, in our home, with our speech, with our love, God. Thank you for giving us a home in which we can entertain people with. Thank you for our church body, that we can help minister to. Use us, God, for Your work. - Amen