Creating Space For One Another

Ruth

Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

—1 Peter 4:9

When my husband and I were first married, we lived in a turn-of-the-century home that was built around 1903. One day as we sat on our front porch, looking down the street one way and then the other, it occurred to us that our street was lined with similar homes, all with cozy front porches. But it didn’t take long for us to notice something else. No one was using them, or at least very few were.

For the most part, we live in a fast-paced, busy, and private culture. Depending on the neighborhood, we have to go out of our way to get to know those who live near us. Our front porches have largely been replaced by decks we build on the backs of our houses, giving us greater privacy and insulation from others.

But the Bible gives us a simple solution for loving and serving others well. It’s a practice we don’t see or experience very often anymore. Yet it has the power to show the love of Christ to others in a very tangible way. It is the practice of hospitality.

In the New Testament, hospitality is routinely encouraged (Romans 12:13). We are to love and serve others by opening our home and sharing a meal without grumbling (1 Peter 4:9). In fact, according to 1 Timothy 3:2, someone should not be a church leader without regularly practicing hospitality. And when we look at the Jesus’ life, we discover that much of His ministry was around a table.

Hospitality is so much more than inviting someone over. It is an invitation to build a deeper and more meaningful friendship with a friend, coworker, or neighbor. When you open your home to someone, you are opening your heart to them. It is an invitation to know you and to be known by you. The simple act of opening your home to share a meal or a cup of coffee opens a door to others’ hearts.

How might you use your home, a meal, or even just a cup of coffee to open your heart to someone else? A simple and ordinary invitation can be a powerful way to love and serve others the way Jesus did. Open your home and your heart, and just watch what God can do!

Father, I believe the practice of offering hospitality is a picture of what You have done for me in Christ. You have invited me to know You and to be loved by You. Show me the power of offering my home and heart to others. Use the simple act of sharing time and food together to deepen friendships with others. In Jesus’ name, amen.

What is the difference between entertaining others and offering hospitality?

What is one thing you can intentionally do to begin practicing hospitality?