Hospitality from the Heart

How do you define hospitality? Do you have to throw a grand dinner party in order to show hospitality? Although throwing a grand party may show others hospitality, it is not particularly what the bible is instructing us to do when it tells to "practice hospitality". (Romans 12:13) I have read that entertaining brings the attention and honor to yourself, where as practicing hospitality points the glory and honor to God.

Entertaining can quickly turn into a very prideful occasion to say the least. We easily be discouraged as it quickly becomes a burden. I must say, I have been guilty of this, and not only does it take some of my fun away, but it changes the whole experience of my guest. Showing hospitality in the biblical sense does not entail cooking competitively to out-do yourself or someone else. Also, hospitality extends itself outside our closed circle of friends. As we read in the bible, we want to be kind to others that perhaps we know can not repay us for our efforts in return. We are told in Luke 14:12-15, "When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or relations or rich neighbors, in case they invite you back and so repay you. No; when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled , the lame, the blind, then you will be blessed, for they have no means to repay you so you will be repaid when the upright rise again." In Matthew 25:40, Jesus tells us when we give someone something to eat or drink, "I tell you indeed, whenever you did this for one of those poorest brothers of mine, you did it for me!"In Hebrews 13:2, we read, "Remember to welcome strangers in your homes. There were some who did it, and welcomed angels without knowing it." It certainly seems like extending ourselves in hospitality is something we need to be doing!

When the bible tells us show hospitality, it is actually is communicating to us to that we need to have the heart of a servant. When we set our sites on welcoming someone into our home, we should not have our hearts on impressing them, but spending time and talking with them. We are in a way ministering and demonstrating to them the Love of God. Our focus of our hearts should actually be on them. Perhaps we will be the only example of Christian hospitality that our friends may witness. My mom always was prepared for a spur-of-the moment guest. She always kept some homemade "goodies" in the freezer that she could quickly unthaw to serve a last-minute guest with some coffee or tea. Her guests were always delighted with her homemade pineapple squares or nut roll .

Now as the weather is getting warmer, I love to have people over for an impromptu fire complete with homemade smores and a few games of corn hole. Yes, its humble entertaining, but everyone from mom & dad down to the youngest child has a good time!

I would love to hear from some of you and what some good-old-fashioned hospitality is experienced in your home!