Offering Hospitality
Open Your Bible
Romans 15:1-13, 1 Corinthians 11:27-34, 1 Peter 4:7-11, Proverbs 21:10
BY Bailey T. Hurley
Before my husband and I embarked on leading our first small group, we consistently prayed that our group would have a mutual affection for one another. We wanted everyone to care for each person despite our many differences and preferences for how community should be. Why did we focus on this so much? Because we knew “the welcome” was just as important as the Bible verse we studied when it came to sharing life with the family of God.
Just like our biological family, the family of God is often made up of people who may not be easy to love and serve. There are always people who will rub you the wrong way or see the world differently than you do. So, we decided to combat these disparities with biblical hospitality.
We sat our group down and asked them to take ownership of “welcom[ing] one another, just as Christ also welcomed you” (Romans 15:7). When a new face walked into our small group, someone would take them under their wing and bring them into the conversation. If someone needed prayer, many would offer to sit with them after formal discussion to pray. When someone was confused about Scripture, others gently helped them interpret the passage. The welcome each person received was a “consideration for his neighbor” (Proverbs 21:10), as each of us learned to build each other up.
Some may read this and think it’s an ideal, unattainable vision of sharing life together, but that’s the beauty of God’s people being together. It was God’s power working through our hospitality to not only encourage those of us in the group but to be a light to all those who came and went over the years (Matthew 5:14). Things were not always perfect, but our consistent love for one another covered “a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). After five years, it became clear that the family of God was experienced best when we all used our gifts to serve one another.
Yet often, we assume the family of God is about us. We struggle to love the person in the group whose comments annoy us. We get frustrated when a sister or brother in Christ falls back into sin after discipling them for months. We grow resistant to change when others decide to bring new people into the community. This is why the family of God is dependent on Jesus’s hospitality and not our own. Jesus did not come to serve and rescue those who were like Him. If so, none of us would have found belonging in the family of God. But Jesus came to rescue everyone, which allows us to fully extend ourselves in service to anyone.
Our hospitality—our heart welcome—differentiates us from the welcome of the world; for we find life in giving it away and laying it down for the good of others.
74 thoughts on "Offering Hospitality"
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I am praying for you quineth52. Thank you for sharing.
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Oh Churchmouse, how wonderful for both you and Jenna. What a God given treasure to be blessed with a day like this. ❤️
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❤️
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Hello dear sisters! I had such a bad morning this morning, but God’s word always helps.
In today’s lesson we learn that hospitality… the act of giving ourselves and what we have to our neighbor.. is the kind of attitude God wants us to have. I know how hard it is sometimes for all of us to want to share our belongings.. but we all know that is the selfish part in us. Many of us have been used to having everything to ourselves… but we need to get over this attitude. Sharing is a beautiful thing.. and we should simply do it more. I love you guys…. have a great night.
God bless you all!
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TINA – that is a lovely story! I can form an opinion on someone right away by their look. I’m from the midwest where “I thought” people dressed normally. Then I moved to Colorado where people are more free in their dress ex: hippie..lol. I couldn’t deal with it. How horrible is that? To judge before talking with them. I still struggle because I just don’t understand it. But why do I need to. I pray that God will give me the ability to just love them. So so hard because I find few believers here. I’m judging them….Lord help me.
ERB – What a great visual. Thank you very much for that! It truly helped me understand.We are having Tanner’s celebration of life back in Illinois on the 3rd. I have been worried because of how his father and his friends live. This was a timely lesson for me to remember to be an example of God’s love. We had a service in Colorado Saturday. It was lovely and small. It is only be God’s grace and all your prayers that I have been walking through this. Thank you so much SRT ladies.
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QUINETH52- Yay, thanks for your first comment! AND, it so resonated with me immediately! I know exactly how that feels! All I can say, or suggest, is just keep taking the high road. I used to get so frustrated with my husband’s willingness to drop everything immediately for his grown daughter that called on him for everything. And it definitely created tension between me and him. But then I thought about how I would have probably done the same thing with my own dad, and that made sense to me and help me adjust my attitude a little. Anyway, prayers for you over the holidays!
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This is such an important topic… I am gleaming so much from each days readings…
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i don’t prefer to go out of my comfort zone or i’m just not able to render a loving heart to someone because I don’t connect with them and/or they’ve rubbed me the wrong way –has hindered my ability to be hospitable and loving like Jesus. Lord, i pray that i decrease and you increase in all areas of my life but especially when it comes to loving others…make me more and more like you! in Jesus name!
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