Stepping Away - Hospitality with What You Have
Stepping Away
“The people realized that God was at work among them in what Jesus had just done. They said, ‘This is the Prophet for sure, God’s Prophet right here in Galilee!’ Jesus saw that in their enthusiasm, they were about to grab him and make him king, so he slipped off and went back up the mountain to be by himself.” John 6:14-15, MSG
After the communal feast of bread, fish, stories—after Jesus and the disciples took care of the masses—Jesus went off to be by himself. He needed time to talk with his father, time to be alone.
For years I cared so deeply about creating havens for others that I didn’t realize how much it mattered to also experience them myself. I don’t mean I was selfless or uncared for—I had plenty of needs met and good things happening, and I was treasured by the ones who matter most. But I often didn’t spend the time to figure out where I felt safe or not safe, where I was too weary to give but gave anyway, how to close a door and just say, “I’m finished for now,” “I can’t meet today,” “I can’t do that for you.”
And when you don’t live honestly like this, the fallout can be significant. You eventually run out of steam or hit an unhealthy wall or turn resentful. And you usually end up believing you’re the full solution to whatever is needed while you try to carry it all when it was never meant to be yours to carry.
There will always be needs piled up around you. Something will always be broken. Someone will always be asking for or needing help or maybe even demanding too much. But you’re not the only one out there. Even if it feels like you are—you aren’t. You need taken care of, too.
After Jesus multiplied what wasn’t enough and turned it into enough, he slipped away from the crowd and his friends. He went to a mountain to be alone. This isn’t the only time we see him doing this; his life was full of presence then retreat, presence then retreat. If Jesus needed retreat, surely we do, too.
I believe if we take care of others knowing Jesus is the Savior (not us), and that retreating is something Jesus did as part of how he lived and loved others, then hospitality becomes sustainable. We can gently take care of others because we, too, are being filled, receiving care, and stepping off into quieter spaces before opening the door again.
Application: Imagine you’re the guest coming to a friend’s front door. You’re tired after a long week, and this friend offers you a place to stay for a night so you can recoup. He or she asks you what you need, and you decide to be really honest because you can tell it’s safe to be. This is what you openly ask for: __________________________.
Now, think of a person who you can tell what you need. If it’s actually just self-permission, then allow yourself to give it. If it requires God, he’s ready for it.