What does it mean to be hospitable? And should Christians be hospitable? Why? And is there a way I can get out of it?
During the tail end of 2023, I kept having to battle my annoyance with other people. You know how some people just ride you raw? Well, as fate would have it, I seemed to be surrounded by those kinds of people. Anyway, I was becoming more agitated and annoyed and truth be told, I was completely over it. I didn’t want to deal with people, and for the most part it was people that I knew.
I’m not sure if it is this way for anyone else, but I can be nice to strangers, strike up a random conversation and go on about my day. I have always been one to give to an unhoused person on the street or offer a word of encouragement or a compliment to someone who looks a bit down. However, that was not the case for those that I knew. Family, acquaintances, those people I came in frequent contact with. It was hard smiling when there were sometimes I really wanted to say, “I don’t like you, please stop talking to me.” Or when I just didn’t want to be bothered? Does that sound familiar?
Well, as I was dealing with that, I asked God to help me be kinder to those I don’t like. We don’t have to like everyone but we should love everyone and show them the love of God. And that is where I was having issues…I couldn’t show the love to people I didn’t like. I knew all about what the love of God was and could easily show it to those I cared about and strangers, but we shouldn’t pick and choose because where would we be if God pick and chose and we weren’t among those He chose to love? So, I was beginning to think on that and asking in my prayer time for the Lord to change my heart and you know what happened? He led me to thinking about hospitality and kindness. (Isn’t it amazing how Holy Spirit meets you right where you’re at?!)
Want to know what God gave me? Genesis 18:2–5.
2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
Abraham, father of many nations, ran out to show hospitality to some strangers. God also led me to the well known verse Hebrews 13:2 which states “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” I read this along with the example of Lot showing hospitality in Genesis 19 and the Spirit let me know that it isn’t just about receiving people, it’s the manner in which you do it. It all circled back to that love thing. I had never stopped doing for those people I’d placed in my “Don’t Like” column, but my heart wasn’t in the right place. And I needed a reminder of that.
As I began to study more and more, I decided that there was something in this for more people than just myself. I was researching examples of hospitality, what it was, why we should do it and who we should be hospitable to. And I was shocked when I learned that there were times we shouldn’t be hospitable! And it’s Biblical! As Holy Spirit convicted me, I learned enough to fill a small book and I’m excited to share it and see hospitality play a part in the lives of more people.
For more on Christian hospitality, check out my new ebook, A Case For Hospitality, wherever you read!
