When I was growing up and heard the word Hospitality, I immediately thoguht... Someone must be coming over... Time to clean the house... again. I thought it meant that you should clean up the house, make it presentable, cook a nice meal, put out the nice plates and napkins and make whoever comes through the door feel important and cared for.
I must say that is a very naroow minded view of a very broad truth. I think we as Christians like putting broad truth into narrow pathways because it is easier to feel like we are doing what Christ commanded us to do... and therefore feel beeter about how we are living as Christians.
The idea behind hospitality is directly related to the heart and not directly to an action. Hospitality is an attitude of the heart. It is a lifestyle that Christ desires us to have towards each other as followers of Jesus and not simply an ction we display once a month to a stranger or friend over dinner.
1 Peter 4:7-11
7The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 11If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
This entire passage teaches us about hospitality as an attitude.
1. It starts out by protraying the urgency of the attitude by saying there is not much time left so get your heart involved.
2. The passage then describes how to initially get your heart ivolved and prepared. Hospitality can only truly be lived out through the power of Christ living through you, therefore one must first take time to align themself with the creator and beg for His mercy and grace and direction on how to live this out.
3. Hopsitality can never be fostered in one's heart until love has been allowed to conquer bitterness and to forgive other people's wrongs that they have done towards u. Love covers all the wrongs against you and allows you to think about and pursue the right things.
4. Then the passage begs us to begin desiring hospitality. See up to this point it was all about aligning yourself with God in your heart. Please note: Hospitality will always come after opening your heart to the creator first. Then it opens the door for you to begin learning and seeking to be hospitable gladly and freely.
5. See the heart of Hospitality is about serving others with who we are not about the fancy napkins but with the grime and gunk of our lives. See none of us are perfect and yet many of us live our lives so noone sees the real us. We have the great meal... that you eat only when guests are ove... you put out the nice napkins that you use only when guests are there. Think about your life... if you are anything like me... you do this with your life as well. You have this perfect happy face around people at church and yet your kids and friends know that it is not the real you. The person your kids see at home should be the person other Christians should see as well. Otherwise you are being hypocritical and not hospitable. Hispitality calls us as followers to be real. When this happens then all of a sudden the non Chrisitians you come in contact with don't feel judged, but loved because they find a person that has real issues like them and they will begin seeing that Grace is something worth looking into.
6. Hospitality is about opening your heart up and living for God in all you are and in all you do. Nothing more... nothing less. If you are jsut putting out the nice napkins in order to impress and entertain... you are not being hopsitiable but selfish. There is nothing technically wrong with the napkins and the delicious food... just beware of the attitude behind it. Is it for Christ's glory... or your own?
Go and be hospitable today in the name and power of Jesus!
