5 Areas of Hospitality

Before reading this post be sure to read “Hospitality” for more in depth background on this subject matter.

Christ  came as the ultimate example of hospitality. He came in the form of a servant. Scripture tells us to imitate this spirit of servanthood, and to walk in love. So, the example of hospitality that Christ has set is the one we are to follow. But what exactly did Christ do to be a hospitable servant?

Foot washer - In John 13:1-17 Christ washes His disciple’s feet. In Biblical times the lowest of jobs in the house was to wash the feet of those who entered the house. By Jesus taking on the responsibility of washing the disciple’s feet, His hospitality was telling His disciples I love you so much I am willing to serve you in the most intimate of ways. Now I realize that this is not a practice that we do culturally anymore, but there are other ways that we can be a servant to those around us. Maybe it’s mowing your neighbor’s grass, raking their leaves, cooking them a meal, or cleaning their house. There are so many ways we can be a servant. What creative ways can you come up with to serve others?

Breaking Bread - How often do we see in scripture where Jesus was found breaking bread and sharing a meal with others. Whether it was the feeding of the 5.000, visiting with the tax collector, Zacchaeus, or having the last supper with His 12 disciples, food seemed to be a big part of hospitality. I’m not saying that it always has to be involved, but food does seem to bring about  a common denominator for all people across the boards. Every person has a need to eat and when we involve food in our act of hospitality it not only meets a physical need, but it brings a commonality to people who could be complete strangers. Sharing a meal with someone is culturally very relevant in our society today. This part of culture has not changed. Who can you break bread with in the coming weeks?

Miracle Worker - Jesus performed tremendous miracles in the hearts and lives of so many people.This was a way Christ was showing God’s love to others around Him. Now, I realize we do not have the capability of performing miracles, but Christ is not dead. He is just as capable of performing the supernatural today as He was when He was walking on earth. However, we must be willing to pray for those who are in need, lay them at His feet and have the faith to believe that He is capable of performing a miracle in their lives.   

So what does hospitality look like for us in today’s culture and in a practical sense?

5 Areas of Hospitality

1. Our doors must be open.

As Christians the doors to our homes, our churches, our Bible studies, and any other event we hold should wide open! I’m not talking about cracked opened, here I’m talking about blow the doors off the hinges open. We must be welcoming to those around us, to approach them with open arms. They should not feel like they are an obligation, chore or an inconvenience. They should feel genuinely and completely welcomed in whatever event they are taking part.

2. LOVE, LOVE, and more LOVE.

The best gift we can give in our moments of hospitality is to be an overflow of the love of Christ. When we show others what Christ’s love looks like in a practical sense we are ultimately pointing them to the highest expression of love, Christ’s death on the cross. Our hospitality should be Christ’s love put into tangible form for others to see. When hey look at us, they should see Christ.

I heard a testimony one time of a man to walked into a church for the first time in his life and sat down. This man was covered from head to toe in tattoos, his hair was in dreadlocks, he was wearing black eye makeup, and he smelled like he had just been kicked out of the local bar. Now, some of us would have gotten up and moved to the other side of the sanctuary, but the people in this congregation welcomed him in, and literally ushered him into the kingdom with the love of Christ! This man is serving the Lord with all his being today. Part of his coming to the Lord could be credited to that congregation who showered him with the love of Christ. He saw was Christ in a real and tangible way.

3. Connect with people.

Make a conscience effort to have heart to heart connections with those around you. As Romans 15:12 tells us, don’t be afraid to...“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”  Our hearts should connect with others on a spiritual level this will not only help those around us to grow spiritually, but God will also use those opportunities for our own hearts to grow spiritually as well.

4. Be patient with people.

Not everyone is going to recognize the love of Christ that we are showing them right off the bat. For some people, it will take time before their hearts begin to question what makes us different. For others, it will happen within the first five minutes of welcoming them in the front door. We all recognize the love of Christ in our own time and in our own way, so be patient with those who are taking a bit longer to understand that unconditional love.

5. Actively look for ways to be a help and support.

Romans 12:13 tells us to... “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” We can not expect to know the needs of others if we are not first actively looking for those needs. Once we have discovered the need it is then our responsibility to share with them so that need can be met. I realize we are not God and can not meet every need that a person can have. For example, when we discover that someone feels neglected and lonely. We can be there to comfort, but we must also remember to always point them to the ultimate source of comfort, their Heavenly Father! We can not possibly fill that void. That is a void only God Himself can fill.

Call to action

My challenge to you is to open your doors, show love, connect with people, be patient, and actively look for ways to help and support others. If this list feels a bit overwhelming, work on one or two of them at a time. Hospitality is a lifelong venture that we can all refine our skills in.

Lord, help us to work on each of these five areas of hospitality. Help us to truly put others ahead of ourselves and to become the servant that you have called us to be. Give us the courage to open our doors wide open to those who need you most, not to shrink back from those who walk through them. Fill us full and overflowing with your love so that we have nothing but your unadulterated love flowing out of us for others to see. Give us a supernatural dose of your patience Lord for those who are having a hard time trying to wrap their minds around this unconditional love that you so freely give. Open our eyes to see the needs of those around us. When you allow us to see the needs of others use us as your instruments to meet those needs, and the ones we can’t, come in and take over so they will know you beyond a shadow of a doubt.  Thank you Lord for showing us what hospitality looks like. We pray that we can be used by you to show others your love.