Angels? Wow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thankfully, we can live out God\u2019s command to practice hospitality in ways as different as we are.<\/strong> Remember\u2014there\u2019s a huge difference between entertaining <\/em>and hospitality. <\/em>Entertaining usually involves fancy dishes, silverware, and expense. Hospitality can be as simple as takeout pizza on paper plates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If God is nudging you out of your comfort zone and into greater obedience in the area of biblical hospitality, consider these five simple ways to practice it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a young Christian woman and her husband moved in next door to us, in the spirit of Titus 2:4\u20135<\/a>, I reached out and invited her over for tea and cookies. We had a lovely conversation, and God gave me several opportunities to share life experiences and (I hope) wisdom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although we\u2019ve never made a \u201cformal\u201d mentoring commitment, we get together at least once a month, always spontaneously, for tea and conversation. As we\u2019ve gotten to know each other, our friendship has grown and our conversations have deepened. She often asks my advice on parenting or marriage issues and allows me to be a Titus 2 \u201colder woman\u201d in her life\u2014over a pot of tea and plate of cookies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We often think of hospitality as inviting someone into our home, but God has used my walks with friends and neighbors outside the home to accomplish some of the sweetest purposes. Whether we plan ahead or I send a spur-of-the-moment text, God does something when we walk together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of my walking buddies are believers. We share snippets of life interspersed with prayers as we log our steps. Other friends don\u2019t know Jesus yet, so we spend our walking time sharing life, concerns, and thoughts. God always gives me an opportunity to sprinkle some spiritual \u201csalt\u201d into the conversation if I watch for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I mentioned above, hospitality doesn\u2019t have to take place in our home. Sometimes it comes in the form of carry out. One day, I was sick with the flu and a kind friend texted me. \u201cI\u2019m dropping off Chick-Fil-A soup and crackers at your door. I hope it helps you feel better. I\u2019m praying for you.\u201dOh, my goodness, that warm bowl of soup tasted like heaven. It nourished my sick body and ministered to my weary soul. Knowing someone cared enough to go out of her way to minister to me brought almost instant healing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hospitality in its purest form is seeing a need and meeting it. When we make it complicated, we hinder ourselves from ministering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hospitality in its purest form is seeing a need and meeting it. When we make it complicated, we hinder ourselves from ministering. Do you feed the neighbor kid alongside yours? That\u2019s hospitality. Drop off a freezer meal to a grieving family for after the funeral casseroles are gone? Hospitality. Send a gift card that will feed a friend when she doesn\u2019t have the heart or energy to cook? Jesus-inspired hospitality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd the King will answer them, \u2018Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me\u2019\u201d (Matthew 25:40<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s hard attending a new church for the first time. Everybody knows everybody else and visitors feel like they don\u2019t belong. But when someone introduces themselves and invites them for lunch? Oh, my!<\/p>\n\n\n\n At least once a month my husband and I plan either to eat lunch out after church (if the budget allows) or invite someone in. If we\u2019re eating out, we choose an inexpensive restaurant near the church. If we\u2019re eating in, I put a simple recipe in the crock pot, toss a bagged salad into a bowl, and arrange homemade or store-bought pastries on a plate. Voil\u00e0! I\u2019m ready to welcome someone into our home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One Sunday we invited a couple with two teenage boys. I don\u2019t remember what I served or what we talked about, but later they not only joined the church, they became some of our dearest friends. Thirty-eight years later, we\u2019re still enjoying simple meals and warm conversation around the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Inviting someone into your home is nice, but inviting them into your heart is heavenly. Despite (or probably because of) all our devices, people today are lonelier than ever. When we extend hospitality of the heart, we touch them in a supernatural way. Sharing bits of our life and genuinely caring about theirs is one way to be Jesus to them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Friendship involves effort. It costs us in time and resources. Sometimes we even get hurt, but it\u2019s so worth it. The women who have most impacted my life have done so because they opened their hearts and invited me in. As I watched them live their faith lives honestly and transparently (notice I didn\u2019t say perfectly<\/em>), I grew in my love for them and in my love for God. As my love grew, I felt a desire to share that love with others, and the gift goes on . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n Who might God be calling you to extend hospitality to? What might He be planning to do? <\/p>\n\n\n\n In 1983, I met David when mutual friends invited us out on a double date. We ate pizza, shared our salvation testimonies, and marveled at God\u2019s grace. A year later, in front of our church families, along with the Swansons, the Smoaks, and our double-date friends, we said, \u201cI do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This summer, David and I will celebrate our forty-second and forty-fourth spiritual birthdays. On December 28, we\u2019ll commemorate our fortieth wedding anniversary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These joys and others too numerous to count happened because kind Christians extended biblical hospitality. It\u2019s a ministry we hope to continue until Jesus comes back or He calls us home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pray, plan, and prepare to marvel at what God will do as you obey his command to practice biblical hospitality.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now it\u2019s your turn.<\/strong> How has being the giver or the receiver of hospitality impacted your life? Share your story in the comments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This post first appeared on the Revive Our Hearts blog<\/a> and is used with permission. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Allow God\u2019s Word to change your life, one word at a time! Lori Hatcher\u2019s newest book, a 66-day devotional highlights one relevant, sometimes unexpected, word from each book of the Bible. Lori, the best-selling author of Refresh Your Faith<\/em> and Refresh Your Prayers<\/em>, shares simple\u2014but never simplistic\u2014truths. She continues to remind us that every part of Scripture is active, alive, and applicable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From beginning <\/em>in Genesis to new <\/em>in Revelation, ponder each significant word as you move through your day and allow God to transform your heart and mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Order A Word for Your Day<\/em> from these fine retailers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Amazon: http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/34t5k7j9<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Our Daily Bread Publishing: http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/mwwhya9h<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Swanson family collected stray cats and stray people. I was one of them. I was sixteen years old, the new kid in school, and lonely. But the Swansons were kind, and when their son brought me home, they adopted me into the family. For three years, I ate meals at their table, watched television […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2162,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37,82],"tags":[845,552,846,840,843,841,11,848,65,844,842,847],"class_list":["post-2161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-christian-living","category-family","tag-1-peter-49","tag-a-word-for-your-day","tag-hebrews-132","tag-hospitality","tag-hospitality-stories","tag-how-hospitality-helps-you-share-the-gospel","tag-lori-hatcher","tag-matthew-2540","tag-refresh-blog","tag-romans-1213","tag-simple-ways-to-practice-hospitality","tag-titus-24-5"],"yoast_head":"\n5 Simple Ways to Practice Biblical Hospitality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Invite a younger woman over for tea or coffee and your favorite cookies.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Ask a neighbor or friend to take a walk with you.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Take food to a sick, grieving, or hurting person.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Ask a visitor or new member out to eat after church.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Invite someone into your heart.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nA Word for Your Day \u2014 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Lori](\"https:\/\/lorihatcher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_5884-768x1024.jpeg\")
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If you\u2019d like to receive Lori\u2019s weekly 5-minute devotions to help you rediscover your passion for God and His Word subscribe HERE<\/a> or at the top of the page.<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"