My parents were hospitable people. They set a good example for their children. They enjoyed being hospitable because they enjoyed being with people. But I remember what they told me on different occasions – most people will not invite you into their homes. People almost always accept invitations to come to your house, but it is rare when they reciprocate and invite you over.
I have always enjoyed having people over and spending time with them in our home. My perspective is our home is a warm and inviting place to be and we want others to enjoy being here as much as we enjoy it. So for the Thanksgiving holiday we invited some folks over and had an enjoyable visit. My son Nathan and I also got to cook up some dishes we had not tried before. They turned out fairly well thanks to the Lord’s help.
The Bible teaches us about hospitality. 1 Peter 4:9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging. This verse is interesting in that it tells Christians to be hospitable towards one another without grudging, without grumbling or murmuring. People that are not practicing hospitality have a problem. We can make a multitude of excuses why we do not have people into our homes and show them hospitality, but it comes down to our inability to get past our own selfish interests or lack of character and to begin to invest in the lives of others.
The word hospitality can also be translated “fond of guests.” God loves us and He wants us to love others as He loves them. When we do love others as He does, we cannot help but be hospitable. Thank you to all those folks who have shown hospitality to my family. It is a wonderful thing for Christians to be together in each other’s homes.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1
