Text: Romans 15:1-7, Matthew 22:36-40
Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
– Romans 15:7, ESV
Last year’s office party at the boss’s house. A dinner party under perfectly twinkling lights in a neighbor’s garden. Brunch on a bride’s Southern aunt’s veranda. Hospitality shows up in a lot of ways, but often we imagine a big to-do. It is entertaining at its finest, done best by those with specific giftings, reserved for special occasions.
It’s a shame when we box up hospitality in entertaining. We lose sight of the true spiritual significance behind it, and in doing so we rob ourselves and others of the blessings God intends to come through it.
“In our culture, the concept of hospitality has lost much of its power and is often used in circles where we are more prone to expect a watered down piety than a serious search for authentic Christian spirituality. But still, if there is any concept worth restoring to its original depth and evocative potential, it is the concept of hospitality. It is one of the riches biblical terms that can deepen and broaden our insight in our relationships to our fellow human beings.”
– Henri Nouwen, Reaching Out
The Greek word for hospitality is philoxenos. Phileo meaning “brotherly love,” and xenos for “strangers.” God’s original design for hospitality is extending ourselves in love to strangers. It’s not only hosting dinner parties on special occasions with people we know, but embracing a posture of the heart to welcome even—and especially— those we don’t.
We extend love first. First love, then know.
God Himself extends His life in invitation to us. Jesus Christ was the Ultimate Inviter. He beckoned disciples with a simple “Follow me,” received children by saying “Come to me,” invited strangers to “Walk with me,” and welcomed sinners to the table, saying, “Eat with me.” And then, in extension of glorious invitation, He gave His life on a cross for us. Because of the Cross, our life in Christ opens us up to becoming a people of audacious invitation, too.
The love Jesus gives to us, we pour back out to others. Love for strangers is inviting a new neighbor over for a casual coffee while you fold laundry. It’s knowing the names of the people who bag your groceries. It’s offering the spare room in your house to the young girl trying to figure out what’s next in life. It’s offering encouragement to the young mom in tears with a screaming toddler in the middle of Target. Maybe it’s even inviting her to lunch after she confesses she has no one to help her.
We love because He loves.
We welcome because He welcomed.
We invite because He invited.
We posture our hearts to welcome others in response to the invitation we have been given through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
A life of invitation begins in the soil of a heart cultivated by the love of the Father.
Lord, posture our hearts toward heaven and give us opportunities to extend our lives in invitation. Make us a people who invite others into our lives, because you first invited us into yours.
Logan Wolfram is the Executive Director of Allume who most loves to write, connect, and encourage women. Daughter of a most extravagant and hospitable King, wife to Jeremy, and mother to 2 wild and inquisitive little boys, her days are filled with a combination of routine and plenty of the unexpected.
Leave a Reply
195 thoughts on "Live a Life of Invitation"
I love the idea of entertaining and having people in my home. The planning part is a delight to me. The reality of the actual doing it is not as fun. My house is very small, my parents, and one young adult son live with me, I work full time…you can imagine my house is not perfect and when I do entertain there are long stressful weeks in our house- by the time the event rolls around I am exhausted. My take away from this lesson is I CAN BE BIBLICALLY HOSPITABLE WITHOUT INVITING PEOPLE INTO MY HOME!!! I can take brownies to the new couple that just moved in, smile and say hi to strangers I pass, tell a complete stranger they look pretty today, offer to help a stressed out young mom, tell a mom with well behaved children she is doing a good job, buy someone lunch or coffee! The options are endless. Jesus was hospitable and had no home…
This brings me back to a study on neighbors. Who is my neighbor and how do I get to know them. My neighbor is everyone I see, meet, speak to. And today’s reading helps complete the action. Love, welcome, invite…just as Jesus loved, welcomed and invited me. This is very radical when you think about it. Jesus is so cool.
What if there’s someone you don’t “click” with? Do you keep putting effort in or spend time with them just because they want to?
That’s a very fair and honest question! I have wondered the same thing often. I think the answer is yes and no. Keep prayerfully inviting and ministering to that person until you know it’s time to allow some space. On the one hand you never know what God might have planned for them and it could be a matter of them letting down their walls in order for you to truly know them. On the other hand, if you truly struggle with having an authentic connection with them, pray for God to bring another friend across their path to be able to invite them in! I think if you keep seeking to know God’s heart for them, in time, you will see your place in their life (for whatever season that looks like!)
It brought tears to my eyes to think of all of the simple opportunities we pass each day to offer words of encouragement. Great reminder.
I am enjoying this as it reaffirms what my parents taught me growing up. I really appreciate this quote too, “The love Jesus gives to us, we pour back out to others. Love for strangers is inviting a new neighbor over for a casual coffee while you fold laundry. It’s knowing the names of the people who bag your groceries. It’s offering the spare room in your house to the young girl trying to figure out what’s next in life. It’s offering encouragement to the young mom in tears with a screaming toddler in the middle of Target. Maybe it’s even inviting her to lunch after she confesses she has no one to help her.”
I admit i havent been very good at hospitality and making people feel welcome. Thanks for another great & inspiring post. God bless.
this read is like an oitment on my heart – it hurts, but also soothes. i’ve been strugling with hospitality for a while. . .worrying that my house is not clean enough or food is not fancy enough. i love the idea of having people over even when I am doing something, it sounds relaxing and so true to what everyday lives are. Thank you for this amazing message.
I needed this! oh how I want to be able to have my home a gathering place for friends, a safe place for women that want to talk…I let needing a clean house and other things scare me away from my hearts desire ….oh Lord help me
I needed this encouragement today as I have been searching in my own heart if I really was showing true hospitality to others.
Reading this made me realize that I live with an incredibly hospitable family. They are a married couple with 2 kids and they invited me to live with them. They actually moved to the city I live in and bought a house with an extra bedroom for me in mind. I was blown away. In a neighborhood that scares me because of crime and gangs, they know every neighbor. They embrace our neighborhood and show love to everyone. They know the mailman, the local police officers who patrol our streets, etc. I love how they are constantly hosting people and inviting others into our house even when it’s chaotic. They generously to give to everyone, even those they don’t know. I pray that I not only learn from them but that I become more like them and in turn more like Christ.
Laura, in reading your reply it made me think of a simpler time. A time when people weren’t staring at their phones for hours each day or trying to cram as much as they could into each day. I enjoyed hearing that such caring people are out there.
I love this! Such a good study. Being hospitable to people you know comes easily… It’s the challenge of being hospitable to strangers that takes knowing God’s love.
Reminds me of a song called “Indiscriminate Act of Kindness” by Foy Vance. I encourage you to listen.
This study is just what I need! I am pretty gifted at putting together little parties or dinners, but it seems that my family never has the extra money for me to be able to. I have felt so bad for a long time, because I would really love to be able to invite people in to our home. This study is showing me that I don’t have to do that in order to be hospitable and be welcoming to those around me. it’s really sad that I allowed myself to fall for what society says I have to do to show hospitality. Thank you for this Bible Study! ♥
What an amazing study! Through God’s grace I have been the recipient of true Christian hospitality at a time when I needed it most. Now that I’m older I have an intense desire to open my heart and home to others is hospitality. This study is definitely a blessing to me, looking forward to reading the rest.
“love first. know second.” good challenge!
This is the line that has stayed with me!
I think the act of hospitality ought to play into political issues as well. Immigration is a big deal right now. It amazes me how many Christians I see hating immigrants and wishing them back to where they came. I think Jesus would have welcomed them with open arms instead.
Oh how I needed this. Having been hurt by people, I’ve let me heart grow closed off and hard. I hate letting people into my lives because it’s messy and hard and they have the potential to hurt me. But Christ didn’t close off his life to those who hurt him or could potentially hurt him. I’m so thankful for this reminder that an open heart is part of being hospitable and a follower of Christ.
Emilee, life and people can beat us up. Jesus is our perfect example of hospitality even in the face of prejudice, hate and betrayal. His life was sacrifice for others and it would be a beautiful thing to mirror His love and actions towards others.
This speaks to me in a new way. I love having people over and entertaining and I have always considered myself to be hospitable. But I was so confused. Lord, humble me, your ways are greater than my ways, and your thoughts greater than mine. Show me opportunities in which I can TRULY be hospitable. All for you, Lord.
I’ve found that when I reach out to strangers, though, I either get used or I find that I can’t trust anyone. So, what do I do if I want to stay safe? ?
This is much needed as the Lord is teaching my flighty, flaky heart to settle & put down roots where He has planted me.
A dear friend set an example for me of hospitality- while her sink was full of dirty dishes and her bathroom was scattered with towels & clothes, she welcomed. Always a meal ready to share, always a heart eager to invest. She cared less for what her home looked like and focused instead on authentic relationship, on true hospitality. xoxo
Love this! Learning to stretch myself in these areas now! But oh man am I the girl in need a place cause I don’t have plans in life after graduating college. Prayers would be appreciated.
I just read this devotion and I must say I am nothing short of challenged. Being an introvert, my personality does not always gravitate toward extending my life to people I do not know. I am much more comfortable staying in my bubble with people I have known for a long time. I desire to be more like Christ, and I know that His spirit in me will help me to become more like him and more like me at the same time. What a mystery! Oh Lord, help me to be like you in your love, welcoming, and invitation!
I’m learning that I need to intentionally cultivate white space in my life – simplify, say no, scale back, be still- to make room for this kind of biblical hospitality. Otherwise I’m inviting others into a crowded space where they don’t feel welcome/safe/heard or I’m too overwhelmed and scattered to do any inviting at all.
How sweet it is to be loved by Jesus, and then return that love and see it help others!
I am really enjoying this new or correct, rather, idea of hospitality. Just as everyone said, this devotional is both challenging and convicting. Will be rereading often.
I loved the example of inviting a neighbor over for coffee while you “fold laundry.”
puts hospitality into perspective.
It is from the heart! Not from a “party front”
I agree, Courtney ! That word picture truly resonated with me as well!
I struggle with hospitality sometimes due to selfishness and only thinking about me. I love this plan, challenges me in many ways and opens my eyes to what the real meaning of hospitality is. Thank you
I love that Jesus invites and never forces himself or His love on us. This devotion reminds me to love and invite the way Jesus did-and that not everyone will accept the invitation but all we can do as believers is to invite, share, and teach with love and leave the rest for God.
Invite. I love that word as a synonym (in a way) of hospitality. Being a photographer, I admit that I’m a sucker for the beautiful backyard parties or other perfectly planned and hosted events, but hospitality as defined by Christs life is an invitation. Period. That’s beautiful.
this is so good. I know the people who have showed me hospitality I have never forgotten. when we actually choose to open our hearts and our homes to others, we receive as well.
inspiring devotion! it is reminding me to not hold on to Jesus’s love but pass it on! thank you SRT!
We are a people of audacious invitation.
Oh Father, you are the God of audacious and fantastic invitation. I want to mirror you today. Give me your eyes, your heart for my neighbors and my church. Help me love whole heartedly.
Such a timely study as we prepare to shift from a program based church to a small group based church. God is doing a work in my heart as I am a “slow curve” kind of person who takes time to adjust to a new idea. It seems that teaching me about the true meaning of hospitality is a huge part of His plan for me. Thank you.
I need to do better with this…I tend to shelter myself in my own comfort, when I know others could benefit.
What a wonderful reminder as I begin a job focusing on hospitality at church. I feel so nervous and have no idea where to start. This study is a great launching point!
Praying for you and the new opportunity God has provided for you! I’m sure by now you’ve finished, but I just wanted to pray that God shows and continues to show you how to walk in his likeness. He’ll show you where to start and how to continue. I hope this post wasn’t TOO random considering you posted 2 weeks ago!! Anyway, have a grata day!!
I have come to realise that my home isn’t ‘my’ home. The Lord provided the money with which we pay the mortgage and fill the cupboards. He even fills us with his love when we are so undeserving. He allows us a testimony! We need to learn to use them all, opening your home is the most wonderful blessing to others. What a lovely little series, I’m really enjoying it!
Hospitality, in this sense, is a struggle for me. I’m loving this study and am being so challenged and encouraged to open up my heart to others, in particular those who are hard to love or that I feel I have been wronged by. This study is exactly what I need! Learning to live out the Gospel, not just know it in my head.
I am really challenged by this definition of hospitality. I am already one of those women that will strike up a conversation with anyone, even a Target bathroom. But, it is way out of my comfort zone to take invitation to the next level. My heart wants to follow the example Jesus gave – but my head is screaming no. I will be asking God for help this week!
wow! so eye opening to read what true hospitality is! how easy we forget and center everything around us!
I have read this devotion at least once each week for the past couple of weeks. I love how it challenges me to love others in spite of every reason I have to turn away.
Alison, I am so glad to hear God is using these words to encourage and inspire you! We love having you in our community!
xoxo-Kaitlin for She Reads Truth
I will never look st hospitality in the same way!!!! thank you so much for this devo, my eyes are being opened to how we have been given the gift to share his love with those all around us especially those we least expect and would likely to do so.
This study is wrecking me. Seriously. It is so timely for my life right now and I’m feeling so pursued by how directly it speaks to me each day, already. Thank God for you all and for penning this series.
Love this. This is giving me a new perspective on how I should be leading small groups! Praying that I will take more notice in the people that surround me.
I love this. God created us to love.
Very thought provoking on what servanthood looks like through hospitality!
I am loving this devo. I am a host team pastor which basically means I am the hospitality pastor. So often I am lost in the details of an excellent environment that I forget about leading my team to not only do an excellent job but have welcoming hearts. To care more about people than what we are doing or how we’re serving. So thankful for what God is teaching me.
Hospitality starts in the heart not in the home. This is huge revelation for me. It is so easy for me to go through the motions of my day and completely miss opportunities to be hospitable to those around me. I think being genuinely interested and invested in people’s lives is a wonderful way to show hospitality. My sister is this way, always thinking of others and intentional in getting to know who people really are. I’m starting this today!
Inviting for the benefit of the other… I have a tendency to want to make it all about me. I worry too much about what that other person will think about my hospitality skills. this study is teaching me my thinking is all wrong. Lord, change my heart and renew a right spirit within me.
Last summer we had a family of 4 move in with us for 6mo to help get them back on track financially. We were all introverted so we definitely hibernated from each other at times. But my husband and I feel very strongly that our house, our belongings etc are not ours- they belong to God. Those 6mo were challenging but that perspective helped us tremendously. We have a monthly worship night in our home for the past year- I sometimes leave a big pile of dishes in the sink. The goal is to make people feel as welcomed as possible. Not having a Martha stewart set up. :) I’ve had to learn to just get over myself when I can’t meet my own expectations. Lord knows those are often too high. :) I love this topic of hospitality- it’s about being hospitable and not entertaining. Thank you!
I am doing this devotional with a girlfriend of mine in my campus ministry; she is an outreach leader and I am applying to be one next for next year (they are a guy and a gal in each small group whose job is to find ways to be welcoming and hospitable and play ice breaker games and such as that). We had both discovered God has gifted us with hospitality, and we wanted to learn more about it. I am so thankful that God only revealed this gift to me recently; I’ve always been hospitable since I accepted Christ, but I didn’t know it until recently. I say that I’m glad because the world and the devil haven’t had the chance to taint my perspective of what hospitality is yet! So one of the first things God has brought into my life is this devotional, which just confirms all of what I’ve been naturally doing. I’m so glad the world didn’t have a chance to convince me that my gift wasn’t good enough, that I need to do this and do that and make it extravagant and everything else. I’ve been experiencing pure hospitality and this devotional confirms it and will act as a shield to how I perceive what hospitality is in the future. This is helping to keep my definition in line with God’s. :)
I am in a season of feeling like I’m more in need of hospitality than I am ready to show it to others, much less to strangers. Good reminder here to be hospitable because Jesus was .
I too feel this way Asharivs at this chapter in my life. I’m trying and praying to see and embrace the hospitality in others, but it’s definitely an hour-by-hour challenge for me. Just wanted to let you know that you are not alone and that I’ll be praying for you and whatever you need to make your current situation less burdensome and more joy-filled. God bless you and yours.
Sometimes I think we struggle with hospitality because it can leave us vulnerable, especially when you are talking about taking broken people into your home! That’s when we remember that we are doing this for Jesus, not for us or even them. Even if nothing comes out of it and our hearts get smashed with failure or lives of people we take in remain unchanged, this was our act of obedience and we did it for God. love makes you vulnerable and god calls us to love not to be closed off and scared of failure.. Growing up we took in teenage mothers or people trying to figure out their life and sometimes lives were changed and sometimes they didn’t care. It was draining and hard and drove us to need Jesus more and more.. We can’t do hospitality without him!!
I like where says to not only be hospitable to your friends when planning an event at your house, but also be hospitable to strangers.. Like the mom at Target with the screaming kid.
Does anyone have a personal story where they did something like this & grew a relationship with that stranger??
I want to ask, What are some ways you are inviting people into your life?
I recently made a commitment to Hospitality of a moms group. This study came in perfect time. Thank you for going in depth into what God's Word has to say about hospitality.
I love having people over to my home. It’s the highlight of my week when everyone gathers together especially when it’s my house! However the one thing I’m guilty of is finding pride and joy in having a clean home, getting to show off our new hardwood floors we just had refinished, the shutters installed in our living room windows, my new throw pillows..the list can go on. Why am I so obsessed with wanting to prove I have a pretty home? This is when it isn’t about hospitality but more about what new shiny thing my guests will see when they walk into my home. I’m also like this with appearance. I know the two are connected. Anyone else like this or experience this before? And how did you find yourself through it?
I struggle with this too. Reading “The Nesting Place” and “Bread and Wine” are two books that have encouraged me to embrace the imperfect. Understanding that the “perfect” home can be intimidating to guests helps me feel less stressed out about dishes in the sink or dust bunnies in the corner. But on the flip side, I’m also learning that He gave us the desire to find and create beauty in our home, so there is opportunity to glorify Him in your desire to “make art”. :)
Cecily, I think it’s only natural that we want our homes to be clean and look as nice as we can since they are a reflection of who we are, but truthfully? Our guests are far more impressed by the love and interest we show for them and that is what makes the lasting impact. So I encourage you to lift Jesus high and let your love shine the brightest. I have learned it’s not about what we “have”, but rather just relaxing and choosing to be interested more in others.
Ladies, I am as insecure as the next when it comes to inviting people into my home. But here is a thought for all of us, especially as we approach the madness of holiday shopping. I always make it a point to look my cashier in the eye and ask how their day is going. If they look frazzled, I tell them to take a deep breath and to take their time with my checkout…sort of a mini-break. I ask them when their shift started and how much longer until they will get off work, etc. Really, I just want them to feel acknowledged and appreciated. Remember that we might be the only nice customer they serve all day!
That’s an excellent point, Grandmeow. It’s the simple things! We don’t have to do anything complicated or hard. Just care for someone.
This is so true! I worked in retail for 5 years at a popular surf clothing company and it was crazy on the holidays. Your act of kindness like this means so much and if I had a customer like that it would have helped me so much.
That’s awesome Grandmeow-thank you for reminding us of a simple way to connect with a stranger just by asking a simple “how are you today?” and genuinely feeling and expressing compassion towards that rough day that they might be having.
This study is great. I struggle so much with being kind to people I don’t know. I’m not rude but I can be very stand-off-ish. Mainly because my mom had a fear of making relationships (she suffered hurt from many people in her life) and she taught me to fear relationships with people as well. I really am looking forward to what God teaches me through this study about an area of my life I didn’t even know I was struggling in.
Lacey,
I completely relate. I learned this last week that I didn’t actively hate people but passively by hiding and being standoffish and not offering anything. Now after repenting and forgiveness, Jesus has given me a heart to be in community and care for people. :)
Reading this on a Saturday morning makes me want to clean up…so I can invite people in!
This is good stuff, period. Thank you for the convicting words today, Lord.
I love having people over to our house… It actually helps me keep my house clean :)
The thing I struggle with is time. Before I ask someone to hang out I have to make time. And then in those times I’m usually wanting to rest. How do you wrestle with this? Anyone in the same boat?
I know I am in the same boat! I just read You and Me Forever by Francis and Lisa Chan and one of the things they talk about is cutting out distractions. One of mine was Instagram and Facebook so I took them both off my phone for 3 weeks. It was awesome! I may need to do it again actually. Anyway, I’ve found that when I take distractions out of my day, I am way much more available to be hospitable. I am far from where I want to be in the hospitality department but I think I need to start by removing some distractions!
Thanks Emily, maybe I’ll check out that book!
Loved this! I have struggled with my insecurity of being single and not being able to cook well for my future family or keep a tidy house but then I remember if I love well the people that God has placed in my life and welcome new people in I am doing what he is asking me to do!
I am a day late…but I am reading this when I need it the most! I was feeling a bit frustrated this morning. I am with my 84 year mother as she has her carpet replaced in her home. For whatever reason I was feeling irritated and I didn't like feeling this way. Is there a better place to go to get my mind straight than to the bible? These passages remind me to show love first.
Thank you, Logan.
I'm absolutely pierced by the notion of loving first, asking questions later.
Hospitality doesn't come naturally to me, at least when it comes to opening my home. There's a piece of hospitality I'm good at, but another I'm not. I'm great at opening my heart to someone in need, just not my home. I've wondered if that has something to do with my Intoverted-ness ;) My home is my inner sanctum. My safe place. It doesn't feel safe to me anymore if there's a stranger in it.
I didn't grow up with a family who practiced hospitality in the home either, but my husband did. Now, because there was always someone at his house, I think he really likes the inner sanctum of his home to be private, too.
I want to be intentional about the way I go through this hospitality study, asking the Lord to open our hearts to new things, and stretch us where needed. But I also want to be aware of who he made me to be, and be quick to play my part offering my specific strengths to the body (and those soon to be in the body).
Does any of that make sense??
You're challenging me to think. Keep going!
I’ve been thinking about inviting my neighbor from across the street over ever since we moved here in April. it’s scary snd new!! but I know I need to. this has made me realize that. ❤️
I am currently at a families house that has let me stay here for a month because my car is in the shop and I’m trying to figure out what in the world to do with my life. So cool to see that mentioned in this text and in real life. True hospitality exists :)
Live to love! Lord soften my heart so I can love like you! Lord you are so gracious!! Help me serve and love and expect nothing in return!!!!
I’ve realized in the past few years, as I began working that I would NEVER have people over if I waited for my house to be perfect, laundry to be folded, dinner to be served on China & a 15 course meal on the table. Jesus didn’t wait, He took opportunities to love ALL the time. Great reminder today!!
This is so helpful to my heart. I have a condition that doesn’t leave much room for planning gatherings like I used to. I’ve been feeling pretty down about it the last few years.
Today, I’m encouraged to see that I can live out God’s specific and unique hospitality in and through me in my every day moments wherever I might be. Thank you so very much.
I really let my pride get in the way of hospitality. At the front of my mind is that my house is messy, hair dirty & I’m in an old tee with spit up on it. As a new mother entering a new phase in life, I have the opportunity to model and teach hospitality in the heart to my daughter. I’m especially thankful for the examples Logan gives to be hospitable in life. It helps me really apply this habit in my daily life.
I am very organized and my home is never a mess but my friend is NOT like me! I like to go to her house and don't mind the mess because that is how she is AND she doesn't mind coming to my house because that is how I am!!! :-)
I just love your studies, you are helping me connect with my Savior all over again and I am finding wisdom and direction through this and regularly being in the word. Bless you all and this amazing ministry you have created.
“Love for strangers is inviting a new neighbor over for a casual coffee while you fold laundry.”
This is exactly how I find myself limiting my invitations, not extending hospitality. I put pressure on myself to host only when everything is done, put away, tidied, clean smelling, and as perfect as my child-filled house can get. But doesn’t that stand in the way of connecting? And in more ways than one? Not only do I stress myself by making sure all is “done” before inviting someone in or literally stand in the doorway rather than invite a neighbor in of the sink is full and the floor is dirty, I also present a silly standard when someone *does* come over. I’m basically saying, here is how I keep my house, please reflect this if I come to you. Which I do NOT feel. I couldn’t care less if someone else’s house is picked up or clean when I visit. But doesn’t my insistence on that in my own house perpetuate the falsehood that I expect the same from others? Doesn’t that create a tension i don’t want someone else to experience? If I would simply invite them in *while* folding the laundry, *while* doing the dishes, *while* sweeping…wouldn’t that then create a more human, more open connection?
this is hard for me, because I'm an introvert. I love people, and even social activities, but there is definitely a significant part of me that is a loner and wants to be alone, who hesitates at inviting more and more people in because there are already so many. who gets annoyed with social invitations. definitely going to be praying through this study, how to be me and still be welcoming like Jesus.
I am an introvert too, Stefani. I crave peace and quiet to fill my heart back up, and it's rare that I get it. And I deeply struggle with inviting people into our tiny, already-crowded-and-cluttered home. Three kids, a home-based business and no family around to help… all leave me ragged by day's end and sometimes, the last thing I want to do is open our doors to let the neighbor kids come in to play after school. My heart has been torn and convicted for months, and I'm praying hard that God will show me how to say my best yeses in these situations.
Lord, you have already equipped me for your purposes, and I know that you can even use an introverted, tired working mama like me, in a small, modest and messy home, to minister to those around me with what I do have. Please show me how to be your hands and feet, to shine Your light to them.
I love this study already… thank you, SRT girls, for this beautiful perspective!
I’m right there with you Stefani! I also struggle with hospitality because I’m so introverted. It’s so hard in the moments I want to be alone to recharge to even consider being around people!
Matthew 22:40 really struck me today. I have heard and read the commandments numerous times but for some reason this is the first time I ever remember seeing this verse. WOW! What a wake up call. LOVE the Lord, Thy God and Love thy neighbor as yourself. Those two commandments hang the law. The first two things God commands of us is to LOVE him and each other. I have to ask myself, is that to much to ask for? No it isn't.
Love reading all of the ways hospitality is being realized
Romans 15 hit me hard. “We who are strong ought to bear the feelings of the week and not to please ourselves.” It doesn’t get much more intense than that. Just as Christ has preferred us, we are too put for others above us. How that looks on a daily basis I am sure will be different in each of our lives, but I know I sure have a long ways to go! Let us focus today on how we can be preferring others above ourselves!
Hi Cari,
That verse stuck out to me as well. And I am guilty of pleasing my self at times…definitely will be working to change my outlook.
This is beautiful
I’ve never thought much about hospitality and the Gospel until this study, and now I’m praying for God to show me ways that I can be hospitable in my own life.
God had given me a wonderful opportunity to show hospitality in my line of work. It’s funny how I never realized it until starting this study. I’m a demo lady at Trader Joes and I have had the pleasure of meeting some wonderful people who have become treasured customers and friends.
I guess I just always thought hospitality was “in the home”,, when it’s really “in the heart”. Thank you again SRT for opening my eyes. Loving this study.
I so love that you have reframed hospitality in a way that truly mirrors Jesus. It’s not necessarily about inviting people into our homes but about inviting them into our lives.
I am loving this study on Hospitality. My hearts passion is hospitality and my world is being rocked! I'm learning about hospitality in a new and fresh way. I am being inspired, challenged and encouraged by the biblical truth you are sharing. Thank you for your Yes to Jesus that has invited us into places of intimacy with the Father. Blessings!
Hospitality is something I’ve struggled with for so long thanks to being so introverted. After a day of work, the last thing I want to do is hangout with a group of people, especially people I hardly know. I do better in one-on-one situations, but how do you do that not awkwardly with people you hardly know?
This series has radically changed my view on hospitality and it’s only day 2. Thank you so much.
So glad we're in this together, Hannah! Excited to see what God teaches you!
xoxo-Kaitlin for She Reads Truth
One way God has been growing in me a love for strangers is random praying. I see the woman pushing the stroller across the street and as I’m at the light I say a prayer for her day. As in checking out at the grocery store I shoot up a little arrow prayer for the person checking me out. I’ve not always done this but it’s helping me to keep an eternal perspective. It helps me to SEE people and not just pass. It helps me to love when I can be prone to getting irritated with people cutting me off or another light to stop at. It helps me to slow down and see. My prayer in the morning is to have eyes to see those around me throughout the day. I want that more. Moments not just to pray but to interact. There are so many lonely people out there that just want to be seen.
I try to do this as well. Lots of little prayers for the people and situations I encounter throughout the day. Thanks for the reminder!
So beautiful. Sometimes I get just so busy that I don't even have time to welcome people into my home, or out for dinner, or well, anything. This lesson today, and this series in general, is perfect for me right now. I need to be reminded of God's love and how He has welcomed us, so that I can go and love and welcome others. I hope to grow more into that person as I let go of all the "busy" stuff and look to Him for guidance. Thank you for this!
You know the moment something speaks to you and it is a wake up call on your life? Well, I just had that moment happen to me. One of my biggest fears has always been making new friends and satan knows that and will attack me every time with the words: they aren’t going to like you, your not good enough or why even try you have nothing special to offer. But reading this reminds me that My God created me and made me in his image so that means I have something to offer and I need to go beyond my fear and reach out to the hurting and the lost and the strangers in my life because they may be dealing with issue like mine.
So far, I keep coming back to the heart of hospitality being meeting needs through love. The need to know that we are loved, are seen, are worthy. Each of the scenarios in the devotion are pointing to meeting someone where they are weakest or hurting and filling the gap so they don’t walk on wounded from it. What a revelation to me!
This post truly touched my heart. I have always been one to socialize and conversate but never want to step out of my comfort zone. The people Jesus associated with didn't know Him but they were so impacted by Him. I'm going to try to step out of that zone and see what blessings i receive. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, so many thoughts… Romans 15 hit me hard because often I think of myself as one of the weak ones… but that's probably because I'm still trying please myself! Thankful for the reminder that Scripture gives us hope and as Christ has received me, I can receive others!
Also, I am horrible at the inviting. I think it's because I'm so afraid of rejection, but in Jesus I can be confident and receive others as He has received me!
We may all feel like the weak ones at times. Yet, I think what the text might be getting at, is that we are all stronger when it comes to knowing Christ. In our weakness, he is our strength, and in some amazing way, even if that strength may be small, it is enough to share. Keep up the good work friend!
This reminds me of the song The Wedding Banquet from the newer album from Rain for Roots (The Kingdom of Heaven is Like This.) I love the way, in this retelling of the parable, the girls yell FILL THESE EMPTY CHAIRS! Here's an excerpt:
{Go out into the city streets and alleys
Collect all who look like they need a square meal
All the misfits and homeless and wretched you can find and bring them here
The servant said, "Sir, I did what you commanded and there's still room."
The Master said, "Then go out to the country roads; whoever you find drag them in. I want my house full!"}
They found everyone they could
The poor the humble bad and good
But there was still room to spare
The King said, "Fill these empty chairs!"
This morning, I’m convicted about extending hospitality to my children. It is easier for me to be welcoming, inviting, and gracious to strangers. But my own children desperately need that too. They are the weak that we, as the strong, have an obligation toward! Praying that I would greet my children with a gracious and welcoming spirit this morning.
What a great idea, friend! Thanks for sharing!
xoxo-Kaitlin for She Reads Truth
Struggling and wrestling with the same thing…..
Hospitality isn’t entertaining! That is life changing for me!
This is so hard but so good. To be vulnerable and trust God when opening yourself to strangers.
Loving the people we don't know…especially them. That's hard to do sometimes. Some people are just hard to love. I pray that God would give us strength and grace as we open our hearts to others and become more hospitable women.
I love how Christ is our perfect example for everything! Even hospitality! I never though about hospitality in this way before, it's exciting! :)
Being a college student, I have been wanting to entertain to fulfill my hospitality cup. Reading this, I am encouraged to not entertain but to invite. To invite fellow college students for coffee or even to study with me! Hospitality had so many opportunities!! I’m so thankful.
Love this, Carolyn! Thanks for sharing and joining us today!
xoxo-Kaitlin for She Reads Truth
I love this so much, open your hearts to strangers. Love the people you don’t know. Be available for those who need Christ. As a mom I know it’s tough to not compare ourselves and it’s also hard to find a place to fit in. So may God help me speak to other mothers who may feel unwelcome, to offer my heart and His hospitality to them.
Growing up, even though I'm a preacher's kid, we never really had people just come over. It was always a big event. Everything had to be just right. And it often wasn't. So, we didn't have company over. This definitely has impacted me and my sisters. We all have obsessions with everything being just right and a huge fear of being judged when things aren't. My youngest sister has since offered up a name for this: living in CHAOS – Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome. But after my parents built a big house and most, if not all, of us had moved out, I learned that my mother was a wonderful hostess. They started having people over all the time. And while that's great that she's gotten to a place where she's comfortable extending hospitality, I don't want to repeat that scenario. I don't want to wait until our lives appear to be perfect. So, I've been trying to get over myself in recent years. (My husband helps a lot with this.) As we have a small group in our home every week, we used to spend several hours cleaning the night before each meeting. Now, we still clean, but not with the same crazy fervor. And with our first child on the way very soon (due date – three weeks from tomorrow), I've been going with the flow more – allowing him to invite people over last minute and being fine with it. I know our lives are going to start feeling unruly from my perspective once our son is here. And that's OK. I know I just need to let people come over and let them come into our lives through it all – instead of blocking off the next 18 years until I can present a perfectly crafted experience for visitors. Life is not about perfection. It's about cultivating true community and being a real part of it. And sometimes, that includes dog hair flying across the wood floors and unscrubbed toilets. And so be it. Lord, help me to welcome others in, in spite of my prideful self. Help me to extend you to friends and strangers, especially in this upcoming season where I will have even less ability to control my surroundings. Bring me to a place where CHAOS is not even a thing for me anymore, even when living in the midst of true chaos some days. Humble me, so that I can be the servant that you call me to be.
I’m the Mom in the trenches with the I-want-to-be-independent toddler defiantly crawling across the floor while a baby hangs on my back as I struggle to push a cart full of groceries in addition to the tiny-person cart the toddler insisted on pushing but now can no longer control. A kind or encouraging word is always welcome.
It is so hard to be hospitable when I feel like I am constantly juggling everything on my plate. Thanks for the reminder!
Last night my husband and I were having some friends over for dinner. His graduate school friends who don’t know Jesus. We made shrimp and grits and 20 minutes after the agreed time, they still weren’t here. The shrimp was cold and the grits were solid. My husband called them only to find out that they forgot. I wanted to cry and close up shop, but he invited them to still come for wine and dessert. They came and we had the best time. We had cream puffs out of the box and laughed together until way too late. I was reminded that The Lord can use my (or my husband’s) willing heart much more than he can use my ironed cloth napkins. Thank goodness :)
I love this!!!
What a wonderful object lesson you received, and shared! Thank you!
LOVE this, Sally! Thanks for sharing encouragement with us!
xoxo-Kaitlin for She Reads Truth
that’s great!
7 Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.
Accept; not agree, but accept. Oh how this tiny detail often hinders me from loving others with His acceptance! Lord give me your eyes for those around me, especially when I am frustrated with their decisions; give me a heart of love, comfort and care that points them to you, for your glory!
Thank you.
Having people over for coffee in my messy house…. Amen! Why do I run around cleaning, like this is what gives me worth and value in my friends' eyes? Lord, I confess seeking praise and affirmation in the wrong places. Jesus knows what season of life I am in right now: working part-time, full-time mom to my one year old. I confess not going to Him more to ask what my priorities should be. Lord, show me how you want my day to look so I don't miss any opportunities to connect with and show love to the people in my life… Both friends and strangers!
Speaking directly to my heart- I get so wrapped up in the messiness and chaos of my house I forget to just love others and invite them to see the real me
Amen to that! I am always so often upset and concerned about my house with a toddler, a dog and a busy life I so many times pass on opportunities to allow people into my home.
You hit the nail on the head when you said, “like it gives me worth and value in my friends’ eyes.” That’s the trap isn’t it?
It is an intimate thing to invite someone in to where we live.
I pray that Jesus gives me His heart to serve his people for HIS glory, not mine.
I sometimes get so caught up in the “perfection” mode of what my home should be and look like that I forget that there the real purpose of having a home is inviting people in to celebrate life with. It’s not about having clean floors, cute decorations, and everything just so as much as it is about loving, welcoming, and inviting. The Lord’s business is about people not things. Lord, change the way I think about Hospitality and help me to step out of my comfort zone to love, welcome, & invite those that you would like to minister to in my home.
Thanks for sharing that truth, Marti! So thankful we get to study together!
xoxo-Kaitlin for She Reads Truth
This makes me think to a habit I started about two years ago. We were new to this city and temporarily living downtown and the homeless population was breaking my heart. My children and I would freely wander the streets, grabbing meals and sightseeing while these wonderful people were left, for whatever reason, to fend in the cold. We made the decision to share. So when we grabbed a meal, we'd grab extra, we'd buy restaurant gift cards and pass them out, we'd invite folks into coffee shops and pay for them. My children began to really enjoy what they were part of. We had nice conversations, with people down on heir luck, and they were among the most kind, most thankful, most upbeat people. We don't live downtown now, but we are down near daily, so we keep water in our car, pack snack bags with uplifting scriptures to pass out and still carry gift cards and mittens. Sundays I wander with my camera and gift cards, sharing coffee and talking. I've met wonderful folks, they know my name and I know theirs…..I know their stories, they share their hearts. It has opened my eyes to see folks around me and always offer a kind comment or word. It's changed so much. This hospitality practice has been more of a blessing to our family than these folks. We can't fix the situation, but we can share their burdens. It allows us to remember there is always someone who needs graciousness, someone feeling less, someone hurting…my kids know it can be a simple thing to help someone, even just to acknowledge they exist….this approach has changed us inside out.
That said, as selfish as this sounds, I wouldn't mind receiving this from other folks too. Over night I was in the ER with our eldest who was scared and unwell. The attending physician wasn't one I'd say came across hospitable. No matter the direction I'd try to swing the conversation or the questions I had, he remained in his disinterest and condescension. We both left stunned, looking forward to appointments elsewhere. My heart hurt that in her pain and fear, my daughter didn't encounter someone kinder. Prayerful that God broadens this physician's heart & thinking and opens his eyes to see what's really in front of him. ~ B
This is so inspiring! I will certainly be taking some of these ideas and using them as well.
B, isn't it the best feeling….not pride, but to have been a friend to a stranger, or an ear for someone who just wanted to listen, I often go through town with food, and give to those that don't make it to lunch, or get a coffee for those that sit outside in hope of some change….Peter said to the cripple at the gate..Beautiful……'gold and silver I have not, but what I do have, I will give you…..' in our case we have time to listen, time to share, time to give hope, time to love… God bless you loads B and your precious little people….your family…sending you a great BIG hug and love….
Hope your girl is feeling better…xxx
Looking forward to that day when we shall share …over a coffee or two.. x.
Me too, Tina….that cup of coffee…..one day! Love you sister! ~ B
This is a beautiful and encouraging study. How selfish have I been to reserve "my" house from those in need. How selfish have I been to only stare at the mom with the crying baby rather than say "you are most wonderful mom". Lord, teach me to stop looking at my self, looking at my own life, my own things, my own "problems", my own needs.. and teach me to love and accept others, teach me to love them, to really really really love them. With Your love.
Right there with you, Rose! So thankful for the truth God is revealing to us! Glad you're here!
xoxo-Kaitlin for She Reads Truth
Amen!
Well said! I couldn’t agree more:)
I love your last sentence. I have a rowdy toddler and there are always Legos on the floor and dishes in the sink. My husband is finishing up his degree and is rarely around to assist. This is a season we’re in and I need to remember that! I need to remember that I can still show God’s love and am not “disqualified” from doing so, as I so often feel I am.
Such a good reminder, Niki! We are absolutely not disqualified, and I'm so thankful! So happy you're here!
xoxo-Kaitlin for She Reads Truth
My husband and I bought a house just two months ago — 1.5 weeks before my due date with my second child (he gave me a few extra days). Within a few days my entire family rolled into town for Labor Day weekend. The majority of my family lives several hours away and we had never gathered in Minneapolis before – my family usually drove to them. But my sister was flying in to see me over the long weekend and everyone else decided to come too. Three days after we moved in. We had sold our furniture planning to find things that fit the space better. But my mom just pulled out her camping chairs and we made due. About halfway through our first meal there it hit me – this is the reason I wanted a bigger space to live in. And here we are getting to fulfill that just days after moving in. No pictures on the wall, no couch or chairs to offer. As it turned out, my brother and his family were at the start of a now long and difficult trial. And I got to play a role in welcoming all of us together to pray, encourage, and rejoice together.
I'm so thankful for that chance to see that it's ok I'm not a pinterest star. Jesus creates the atmosphere he desires but we have to open our hearts and our space. Now with a toddler and an infant, my house is always in shambles. And I get really self-conscious when people stop over because I can see that they feel like they came at a bad time or should have given more warning or something. But life is life, ya know? There are so many people, like me, who just can't seem to keep up with that kind of stuff. And I will always try to, but THANK YOU for the reminder that my weakness and my season of life do not disqualify me from bringing others in.
How many times can I 'like' this?! I am in the same boat – toddler and a newborn, working full time, living in a large city (Miami) which means a commute. I love that you fully recognize that no matter how hard we try, in this season of life we just can't seem to keep up. I needed that, because sometimes it's hard to accept that without feeling defeated. It's so nice to hear other women in the same position. Sometimes you just have to let go and let God.
It's also made me smile to hear you're in Minneapolis– I'm from a few hours away and I my mom would have pulled out the camping chairs, too. Not sure what kind of reaction I'd get if I tried that with friends from this part of the country. It's one of the things I miss most about home!
Maybe hospitality is less about opening our himes and inviting others inside to visit with us, than about opening our hearts to others and inviting them to come meet Jesus.
Beckey
htto://reallyreallyrealhousewives.blogspot.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/queenbsbusywork
Sorry for all the typos!!
Beckey
http://reallyreallyrealhousewives.blogspot.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/queenbsbusywork
This is the message I am getting also, "open my heart" to others. Those I pass by who are in need of a smile, a kind word, acknowledgement that I see them.
First love then know….that shouted at me….Love the person who served you coffee…love the person who cleans your office….even love the person that cuts you off on the highway…..then know….Know that they are God's creation, God's child….put before you to have the pleasure to love as the Father loves us.
I love the reminder that the Gospel is our motivation to open our hearts & extend the invitation. This also releases us from all sorts of fears in coming up short or sin of comparison when our focus is on entertainment. Simply, we love because HE loved us first (1 John 4:19) – for the glory of God (Romans 15:7)
I love what this says about bearing one another’s insults with a servants heart and accepting one another. This is hard to do, because even on the surface when we “accept” someone, we rarely take the time to truly try to understand them, or to open up and be vulnerable enough for them to feel like they are allowed to attempt to understand us. Lord, change our hearts to better offer comfort and hope to strangers and people we know that we’ve estranged in the form of your true hospitality!
Having people in my home is not difficult and we often do, but strangers; almost neverunless they are with someone we know. As Jesus invited me I need to desire to invite others in our home. This definitely convicted me in the area of knowing names of those that serve me in the grocery store, the frustrated mommy in target, and the young lady needing to find her way! Such a simple show of Christ these are and encounters I have multiple times a week! Lord convict me out of my tunnel vision to see opportunities to show your love and hospitality!
Amen Sister! here’s praying for open eyes and hearts to see and love like Christ!
It seems my heart is closed more to family who don’t know Jesus. I am more easily open with the stranger. Holidays are upon us—Lord, fill me with YOUR love so I love to extend my heart, home, and The Gospel to my family.
It’s so hard to open up with people who are so close to you who don’t share your love for God, because that’s such a big and wonderful thing to try to communicate to someone who does not know it or is not seeking it. Still figuring this one out! Love and grace is the only way I can figure to do it, but just wanted to let you know that this lady feels your struggle :)
The ultimate inviter. The reflection in the Lord’s offerings to those whom he did not know but to whom he has entrusted forgiveness, faith and grace elicits a warmth in my soul.
"Jesus was the ultimate inviter" Lord, please help me to have an open & welcome heart. To cultivate hospitality within my heart, and let others in.. even those I may not wish to invite in.. especially them. "For the glory of God:.. Amen
I have a dear friend who has the gift of hospitality. When someone is in need she extends herself selflessly to them- whether through text, a phone call, a little baked treat all wrapped up in a cute little bow. I've experienced her hospitality numerous times and when I least expected it, when I needed it the most. I find myself so wrapped up in my own life, in my own family that I forget to offer these invitations to those around me. Today's devotional reminded me that it hospitality is about building a life of invitation… About cultivating my heart to see opportunities to help those in need or to offer a word of encouragement… about being selfless in a culture that stresses selfishness. I pray that God begin to cultivate in me a heart for hospitality and that I do not miss opportunities to extend myself because I am too wrapped up in my own life.
Thank you so much for this! I have been hosting many guests over the past five years, as my husband and I are living overseas. Friends and family love to use us as their "launching point" from which they can stay and then travel and visit other European cities. Admittedly, I don't always have the most willing heart and can end up feeling selfish and self-absorbed when I lose focus. I try my very hardest but my own will always fails me. Ironically, it's when I finally let go of being a "perfect hostess" or feeling like we're just being "used" that I'm able to be the most gracious and loving hostess. When I release my actions and feelings to Jesus, He fills me up with His love, which I can extend to family and friends. I'm still learning…always growing and hopefully getting better :) I'm thankful for the grace of God which allows me to be gracious to others. Hospitality is not always easy, but it is certainly near to Jesus's heart and a perfect way to serve Him and shine His light!
Have a wonderful day and be blessed, ladies!! :)
So, so much richness here! I'm having a hard time taking it all in! A couple of things did stand out, though. From the passage in Romans 15, the number one unifying factor that should center our hospitality, and on which our hearts should agree, is Christ. We obviously will not only show hospitality to Christians, but in our agreeing to be hospitable, we have to understand that we will not always be receiving or extending an invitation to every get-together (whether casual coffee, mall shopping trip, or grand dinner) embarked upon. It's nothing personal. It's leaving room for the strangers who need that love extended to them.
Also, I'm so thankful that Jesus, the ultimate Inviter Extraordinaire, knew me and invited me anyway. Sometimes it is a good thing to be a short-sighted human. We can somewhat blindly extend love to people before we know if they are even lovable, and with a proper understanding of the role of hospitality, we don't have to retract our extension when we find out something we may not like about them.
Finally, I'm deeply convicted about my own tendency to keep my life private and not invite others into it. I have a lot to pray about!
That Jesus knew me and invited me anyway so speaks to my heart. Thanks sis.
Love first. Know second. That totally struck – and convicted me. Lord, help me to make my life one if invitation to those who need Your love.
Yes! Love that, Joanne! So happy to see you here today!
xoxo-Kaitlin for She Reads Truth
That’s such a beautiful concept. Choose love and let friendship grow!
that hit me too, Joanne! I’m so backwards on that, nervous to open my heart and home to new people until I feel sure of them. God is so the opposite! He loves big & free & joyfully, oh how I long to be like that!!
Amen!
PRAISE God for this…..for sure praise God….
PRAISE God for this…..for sure praise God….
I LOVE my home….I love everything about it…..I cried the first time I saw it….it felt like home….i could see happiness, joy, love, friends in it….and that was before it became mine…..
I have spent the summer painting my home, inside and out….something I have never done before….it needed doing, and has needed doing for a while….yet not quite felt the need, until this year, when I thought about inviting a dear friend who has been going through the mill, with cancer…then the thoughts began, she can't come here….it's home…to me, but surely it will be a tip to her…as her house is perfect….everything in its place, etc…I'm still finishing off, four months later….
My point…there will never be a right time to invite people, be they friends or not, if we worry about the state of our homes, our furniture, the garden…..our hearts , ah, thank God it's about our hearts being in the right place, our hearts loving, giving out love, the beauty of our hearts and NOT how beautiful or splendid our homes or houses look…they are superficial, our taste may not be someone else's, our hearts, ….our hearts show truly who we are….if we are worrying about the state of our houses, our cars, in terms of lifts, our clothes…..in terms of others, and how they will look….we are not loving others we are comparing ourselves to others….and that my dear Sisters….Will get us nowhere….
I KNOW,…. I still haven't invited my friend over….because I worry that …what?…….. I will be judged?……that she will think my house different?….that my home will reflect who I am…truly am….a lover of my family….pictures everywhere…old sofas..loved…yet the most comfortable…and inviting….my big kitchen..and the big inviting dining table, .where most conversations of Love and life take place over coffee, homemade cakes, great food…..desserts….games….scrabble, (my absolute favourite), ….as I write I realise….I have invited and often do, people I am comfortable with….people I do life with….I need to step out of that mind set, I need to trust that who I am is okay….that I am me…that God loves me…I need to step out of that safety zone….what is the worst that could happen….we could laugh so much, we say we must do it again…..that she enjoys herself, getting to know a little more about me through the pictures that are around, and I her….that the time goes so quickly….5 hours later….!!
I am inspired by this devo this morning so very inspired…Thank you…Logan….I have been challenged….and answers have been given through my own thinking and prompting from God….What I sit in now, this house is just bricks and mortar…..but…it is also an extension of who I am, my love of pictures, comfy settees, hearts everywhere…it is a home put together in love……I love because I am loved….I dance because God dances with me, through Christ my Saviour…. I live because He lives in me…..Thank you Lord, thank you….
Lord, Thank you for loving me as you do…through the many faults and insecurities….Thank you that it is with our hearts that true hospitality begins….not what we have or don't have….our hearts are our offering….lead me Lord to be like you….ever hospitable…ever loving, and guide me Lord to make it about you and not how it might or should look….Praising YOU, Lord God… for this eye opening challenge and correction this morning…..
Sisters, great to be back and straight into a real challenge….But God…our amazing God…has done it again….spoken His truth ….to us…Praying ….He turns His loving face to shine on you today, as you navigate your way through life, and may He pour his favour over all you do…Blessings. Dearests…..xxx
Love this Tina! It is so true that there will never be a right time to invite people into our homes.You are a blessing to this study and I find myself always looking forward to what you have to say about the day's reading. God Bless You! :)
Oh Tina, it os such a joy to read and experience with you self revelation. Your posts start with you explaining an issue and by the end, you've realized the lesson the Lord was giving you through that issue. How refreshing it is to read your truth, as I've been away for awhile. God Bless you Sis as we take this journey into true Christlike Hospitality!
Oh Lord forgive us, how often we make it all about us; our homes, our entertaining, our schedules and our insecurities. We become burdened with presenting ourselves instead of realizing the wonderful gift and opportunity we have been given to be able to present You through the cracks and weaknesses of our homes and lives. As we gather over coffees and around family dinners may we extend Your Grace and invite others in – for Your glory alone.
“We become burdened with presenting ourselves instead of realizing the wonderful gift and opportunity we have been given to be able to present You through the cracks and weaknesses of our homes and lives.” Amen!! I love the way you put this.
Thanks Diana! I just discovered SRT this week and I am loving the style of community/Bible study. Greetings to you today. ;)
amen!
Amen…..beautifully said Phillippa…x
Beautifully said! ~ B
Beautiful.
Well said! Our lives are for His glory not our own. ♥♥
Mmm amen.
Well said!
These words have hung heavily in my heart this evening. I love getting to know people and making them feel comfortable to share, I love the idea of having a craft party, but my anxiety and bashfulness always wins. I’m worried about whether what I have to offer will be good enough or my house clean enough. I’m thankful of the reminder of this reading. Just invite anyone and just show them love.
Arlene, I'm praying you find so much relief and comfort in the hospitality The Lord shows us! He is so gracious to give us an example of love that is free of anxiety! So happy we get to study this together, friend!
xoxo-Kaitlin for She Reads Truth
Arlene, so often women just want to spend time together. We don't really care what someones house looks like or what label is on the back of your blouse. The invite into your life will make another women's heart sing. Be brave sister!
Arlene,
Start small and work your way up. Have some friends over for coffee or tea. Or invite someone over to watch a football game. Then move to bigger things that are more planned. And the truth of the matter, your friends come to see you and not your house. God bless you sister!
My mother was so good at this. She always made food on Sundays and invited new people from church home after the morning service. Great memories. Even better example.
Sarah, what a lovely memory of your mother…. a special lady….what a legacy…bless you for sharing that….xxx
So blessed by this study already! What an eye opener to what hospitality is really all about. My desire is to learn from Jesus and His example rather than from Pinterest and magazines.