I grew up in a very special home. It was the kind of place that made you want to pull off your shoes and flop down on the couch for a long visit or even a nap. A place that made you want to linger just a little longer. As I look back, I don’t believe it was just the amazing food served, nice clean house, comfy beds or easy conversation that made my home special. I believe it was the spirit of hospitality that my parents embodied that made people want to come back again and again. My folks just knew how to love on people whether family, friend or stranger. We often say that my parents could live in a tent and people would still want to come for a visit. They truly have a revelation of the word hospitality.
The Greek word for hospitality is philoxenia. Philo means to love like a friend and xenos means foreigner or stranger. So in essence hospitality is not just loving on those you know but truly opening up your heart and home to those you don’t know. It is easy to show hospitality to our family and close friends but can seem uncomfortable to do so to a stranger. Paul says in the amplified version of Romans 12:13 “Contribute to the needs of God’s people (share in the necessities of the saints); pursue the practice of hospitality”. We must be pursuing these opportunities to be a blessing to others.
Hospitality is more than just knowing how to set a pretty table. It is rooted deep in love and compassion for your fellow man. In 1Peter 4:8-9 it says, “ Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins (forgives and disregards the offenses of others). Practice hospitality to one another (Be hospitable, be a lover of strangers, with brotherly affection for the unknown guests, the foreigners, the poor, and all others who come your way who are of Christ’s body) And in each instance do it ungrudgingly (graciously without complaining but as representing Him)”. Having an attitude of love and a servant’s heart is the real essence behind being hospitable.
The things that can create an atmosphere of comfort can be learned, but the spirit of hospitality has to be caught. Spend time around someone you know who has this gift of hospitality and just watch them. By doing so you can learn to create an enjoyable and comfortable atmosphere for your own home. More than anything else saturate yourself in the Word to become rooted deep in love. This will create the desire within you to be a blessing to others.
It seems in today’s culture that we have lost this spirit of hospitality somewhere along the way. We have gotten so caught up in the busyness of our own lives that we no longer have people over for dinner or overnight guests in our homes. I believe we are missing out on such an awesome opportunity to love on people and minister not just to their souls but to their spirits as well. So go clean out your guest room, set the table and invite someone into your home for a visit. You might just get blessed yourself in the process.