Back in the fall I heard a friend speak about hospitality at MOPS while visiting South Dakota. At the time, I had just closed on Acorn House and it was a hot mess. There would be no formal dinner parties or baby showers at my house for quite some time. But her message challenged and encouraged my heart.
The Christian hospitality that the Bible calls us to isn’t about having a perfect home. The Bible tells us hospitality runs deeper than hosting parties or having “enough space” or “the right kind of house” for guests. It’s a heart attitude that looks outward and reaches those around us. It’s an attitude that is an overflow of the gracious hospitality God has extended to us by welcoming us into His household.
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,
Ephesians 2:19
I’ve been ruminating on this post since October. As I’ve prayed over hospitality these past months God has reshaped the way I see being hospitable. I’ve learned that hospitality is something anyone can practice, no matter what the condition of their house.
Defining Hospitality
This definition of hospitality from John Piper has stuck with me since the fall and it’s come to be a motto in my mind.
As far back as you want to go in the history of God’s people, one of the God-appointed duties of the righteous was hospitality—by which I simply mean the willingness to welcome people into your home (or your apartment) who don’t ordinarily belong there.
John Piper: Strategic Hospitality
Willingness to welcome people into your home who don’t ordinarily belong there. Over the months I’ve come to expand this definition to “Willingness to welcome people into your life who don’t ordinarily belong there.”
This view of hospitality is freeing. It doesn’t require party planning, cooking skills or being chronically neat. God desires our willingness to welcome others. (1 Peter 4:9) To welcome them into our home, our activities, our church, our lives. This is hospitality.
The Bible exhorts us not to neglect hospitality. (Hebrews 13:1-2)It goes so far to tell us to seek out opportunities to be hospitable. (Romans 12:13) Hospitality is something we should be on the offensive about–looking for ways to put it into practice, asking God for the strength and renewal we need when being hospitable doesn’t sound appealing.
Practicing Unconventional Hospitality
Since moving in, we’ve had a new roof put on, the garage structure beefed up, foundation cracks repaired, new supports dug in the basement, the furnace fixed, an emergency water heater issue resolved and lots of cabinet and appliance deliveries. This is not to mention the many contractors who have come to give bids and assess projects.
In short, our house has seen a lot of people in it who don’t ordinarily belong here. Rethinking hospitality has helped me not waste these opportunities. Instead of mourning the fact that my house isn’t ready to welcome my friends, I can be hospitable and welcoming to new people–who aren’t usually in my path. What a sweet opportunity God has given us!
A Newer, Sweeter View on Hospitality
When I began to reconsider my view of hospitality, I realized I didn’t need a perfect house or a well stocked kitchen. I only need a willingness to be welcoming and God to help me be aware of opportunities around me. The new military wife in town, those endless contractors, my friends–I could humbly practice hospitality before them when I laid aside my pride and desire for a bigger, better space. After all, yearning for something more than what I have is called coveting. Being shy, ungrateful, believing I should have something better that what I do have is called pride. And using either as an excuse for not allowing God’s love and grace to be displayed in my life is called disobedience. It’s a lazy excuse and it’s wrong.
There is no time better than right now to be loving, welcoming and hospitable to those around us. With social distancing in place, this can be a challenge. But you are creative and great. Satan would love for us to be isolated right now–vulnerable to lies. So we need to fight more than ever to connect and be hospitable. We need to be safe, but we must also fight the urge to overlook those in our path.
I pray over the people who come here. During breaks, I make conversation and I am genuinely interested in their lives. I like to make coffee and offer snacks. I want everyone who comes into my home, town or church to know that they are welcome, they belong, they are valuable. Derek and I also pray that God’s love would be seen in the atmosphere and actions within our walls. Sometimes its not the dinner and game nights of my dreams, but it is hospitality–and I believe God won’t waste it.
Christian Hospitality Has Eternal Ramifications
When we give hospitality a more sacred definition than “party planning” we see that Christian hospitality has eternal ramifications. For example:
- The hospitality of Aquila and Pricilla in Acts 18 allowed Paul to minister and teach in Corinth.
- In Acts 16 a jailer brought Paul and Silas to his home where he washed their wounds and listened to them. He and his whole house believed and were saved that night.
- Jesus’ always made His teaching and message open for all. He welcomed anyone who would come to Him. This is hospitality.
In our culture hospitality with an eternal impact happens when we invite someone into our lives and demonstrate God’s grace through our actions and speech. It happens when we share our testimony over coffee. It happens when we ensure that others feel welcome to join activities that edify our faith.
One of the most important places Christian hospitality takes place is inside the church. Becoming a Welcoming Church does a fabulous job of expounding on how eternally important it is that our churches extend hospitality. (My personal view on this book and 7 other great non-fiction Christian reads are here.)
Real World Examples of Christian Hospitality
As a person who has moved more times than I would have liked, I’ve felt the happiness of being accepted and trusted. I’ve felt the deep pain of shallowness that implied I didn’t belong.
The highs and lows of these experiences are why I’m so passionate about helping others feel like they belong: in my church, in my home, in Minot. The things that have helped me feel most welcome haven’t been extravagant. It’s been things like:
- A new friend trusting me to babysit her kids while she ran an errand
- An invitation to a small group at church
- Getting invited to serve at VBS
- An invitation to a “lake” day with a group of friends who’ve been doing it together for years
Hospitality that gets to the heart says, “You belong.” “There is room for you in our circle.” “You’re valuable.” “I can’t wait to see how you can contribute.”
Getting Started With Christian Hospitality
Now it’s your turn. How can you start extending hospitality? There are lots of lonely, hurting people out there right now. And in the current circumstances “traditional” hospitality can be tricky. Here are some questions to pray over to get you started.
- What has helped you feel a sense of belonging in a new situation?
- What has caused you to feel unwanted in a new situation?
- How can you welcome someone who isn’t “ordinarily” in your life?
- Who is present in your world right now that isn’t “ordinarily” there? How can you help them feel welcome?
- What activities can you include someone in?
- Who would you like to know better?
- How can you encourage someone to use their gifts?
- How can you connect with others right now?
Thanks for joining me again today. I’d love to hear how you are practicing hospitality or how hospitality has been extended to you in a creative way. Comment here or connect with me on Instagram or Facebook. For more on hospitality I highly recommend this article.
