“Hospitality is becoming an almost forgotten Christian virtue in our style of life today… In the New Testament, however, hospitality was a distinctive mark of Christians and Christian communities.”
~Alexander Strauchfrom The Hospitality Commands
In the Bible, hospitality is ranked rather high in the list of how we as Christians should live. Paul instructs Timothy that older women should be known for their good works, including hospitality (1 Timothy 5:10). And in Romans 12:9-18, we're encouraged to live a life "full of love without hypocrisy", and hospitality is included in the instrutions on how we are to love: "Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. Share with those in need; practice hospitality."
It's this verse, however, that speaks to me the most:
"Keep your love for one another at full strength. Be hospitable to one another without complaining... if anyone serves, his service should be from the strength God provides, so that in everything God may be glorified through Christ Jesus." (1 Peter 4:8-11)
We know that love is a command from God. We must love, not just when we feel like it, but all the time, and we must love everyone! Love is a verb, not a noun! The essense of all that Jesus taught can be boiled down to a few words, echoed by a cute little cross-stiched pillow I have in the sunroom where my desk sits:
"Love God. Love one another."
It's this verse, however, that speaks to me the most:
"Keep your love for one another at full strength. Be hospitable to one another without complaining... if anyone serves, his service should be from the strength God provides, so that in everything God may be glorified through Christ Jesus." (1 Peter 4:8-11)
We know that love is a command from God. We must love, not just when we feel like it, but all the time, and we must love everyone! Love is a verb, not a noun! The essense of all that Jesus taught can be boiled down to a few words, echoed by a cute little cross-stiched pillow I have in the sunroom where my desk sits:
Simple, but profound. If we refer back to that verse I like so much in 1 Peter, we see that being hospitable is a way that we can love one another. It's always seemed me that smiles and laughter are contagious; I believe love is contagious, too. As we show love to one another, we strengthen each other, and then that love we've shared can be taken and spread around elsewhere so it can continue to grow and spread. Rumors and gossip tend to spread like wildfire, but wouldn't it be lovely to have love spread like wildfire instead!?!
My home isn't grand. There's no fancy oven in my kitchen. Even after vacuuming, some dog hair will still be found on floors and furniture (I've heard that's why they call it fur-niture!). My flower bed, which you must pass on the way to my front door, is not weed-free by any stretch of the imagination. But despite all of that, my home is beautiful because it's full of love--and the reason it's full of love is because the Lord lives here. The weeds and dog hair don't matter, as long as I open my home to friends and family and share that love.
My home isn't grand. There's no fancy oven in my kitchen. Even after vacuuming, some dog hair will still be found on floors and furniture (I've heard that's why they call it fur-niture!). My flower bed, which you must pass on the way to my front door, is not weed-free by any stretch of the imagination. But despite all of that, my home is beautiful because it's full of love--and the reason it's full of love is because the Lord lives here. The weeds and dog hair don't matter, as long as I open my home to friends and family and share that love.
Visit Chelsey at Joyfully Living for more "In Other Words" today.
