Hi Ladies,
In today’s busy world we often overlook a trait, a gifting that our Father has given us and which He still requires of us. It is intended to bless both you and those you whom you meet. As we’ve discussed in recent blogs, the new activities that you incorporate into your life will become a source of new people you’ll come in contact with. If you’re wondering what you’re supposed to do with them, God has the answer, of course!
Hospitality:
This may not be a surprise, but the Lord directs us to be “given to hospitality.” (Romans 12:13). Per dictionary.com, “hospitality” means “the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests or strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.” The Webster definition is “generosity and friendliness in the entertainment of guests.” In 1 Peter 4:9, we’re directed to “Be hospitable to one another without complaint.” 1 Timothy 3:2 and 5:10, Hebrews 13:2, and Titus 1:8 also speak of the need for people of God to be “hospitable.” It is a virtue that He expects of His followers.
But often we have no real idea of how hospitality works, or how to start. We live in an age of “virtual” contact where texts, email, or Facebook posts serve as substitutes for actually being with someone, and we may feel that’s sufficient interaction. But being hospitable requires more. It involves sharing yourself and expending energy on behalf of another. Being pleasant, kind, and considerate are virtues for a Believer, but practicing hospitality requires making an effort to physically connect with people, to spend time with them.
Consider… when was the last time you invited anybody into your home? When have you welcomed people over for dinner, or hosted a simple get-together? You may be surprised to know how many people are seeking a pleasant opportunity to visit with others on weekends or a place to share holiday festivities that do not involve gathering in a restaurant. Don’t wait around for someone else to do this. There’s no need to set yourself up to always be a guest or to put your role as hostess on hold until you become someone’s wife. Instead as a godly lady you are perfectly placed to extend hospitality both to friends and to those you’d like to get to know better.
Why should you bother? Because the practice of hospitality is a natural extension of friendliness, but few people these days actually do it. “Breaking bread” with others is one of the best ways to bond with them, and the Bible endorses it. The Last Supper was a Passover gathering that confirmed the ties of friendship between Jesus and His disciples. And our Lord both demonstrated and accepted hospitality by changing water into fine wine at a wedding, and by dining in the homes of “publicans and sinners”. The barriers between Christ and the people He came to save were broken when He supped with them and partook of their hospitality. In similar manner, you’ll find that barriers between yourself and others will start to crumble when you offer them an opportunity to partake of your God-given hospitality.
Host a birthday party or celebrate special events in the lives of your friends. If you don’t want to go it alone, enlist a girlfriend to share resources. You can co-host a gathering for any reason you choose. A Sunday brunch, patio cookout, or home Bible study with simple refreshments can readily be accomplished. And when you look for them, there are plenty of other easy entertainment options which will be popular with your existing friends while providing an occasion to get to know acquaintances.
Cultivate the relationships that God has placed in your life, both old and new. The new ones are likely to bring a change from the old patterns in your life and will enhance the renewed season that Father is birthing within you. And blessings can occur when you welcome people into your home…one of my favorite testimonies is a lady who met her husband when a co-worker brought him along to her Super Bowl party.
Until next week…Joy and Shalom!
Jo Lynne Pool
jo lynne pool - Love in The Book.org 