Practice hospitality

 21 Sep 25

Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Life Application Study Bible Devotion


Practice hospitality

Christian hospitality differs from social entertaining. Entertaining focuses on the host: The home must be spotless; the food must be well prepared and abundant; the host must appear relaxed and good-natured. Hospitality, by contrast, focuses on the guests. Their needs-whether for a place to stay, nourishing food, a listening ear, or acceptance-are the primary concern. Hospitality can happen in a messy home. It can happen around a dinner table where the main dish is canned soup. It can even happen while the host and the guest are doing chores together. Don't hesitate to offer hospitality just because you are too tired, too busy, or not wealthy enough to entertain.


“Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

————————

Reflections

What does hospitality mean to you? I think in a way it’s quite likely if you have a house, you can offer and practice hospitality. Like what the devotional is saying, we aren’t doing social entertaining. I think a lot of people may have misunderstood the true meaning behind Christian hospitality-I raise my hands because I’m one of them and perhaps am also not the only one.


I always thought to be hospitable means we have to provide for everything. Like so stressful. Must make sure there is good and nice food on the table, the house must be spotless, presentable, etc. it makes being hospitable or hosting others become a chore rather than something enjoyable. 


This whole concept change or perspective change allows me to understand hospitality in a whole new level. I don’t have to be rich to open my doors. I don’t have to do like the world does and present gourmet food on the table. I don’t need to lay the table like it’s fine dining. A simple meal, even buns with 3-in-1 coffee can be considered hospitality, which is easily achievable.


May the Lord teach me how to be hospitable so I can reach out to the people around me and share Christ’s love with them. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Are you fulfilling your priestly role by holy living?

  2 Feb 26 Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One Readings: Exodus 29 Exodus 30 Matthew 22:1-22 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people (1 Peter 2:9).  Are you fulfilling your priestly role by holy living? Moses receives directives from the Lord to sanctify Aaron and his sons for the priesthood. The Lord says to Moses, “And this is what you shall do to them to hallow them for ministering to Me as priests” (Exodus 29:1). Also, God previously chose Israel as a nation to serve Him in a priestly role. “And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). Whether Old Testament Israel, high priest, or a member of the church-age royal priesthood, God desires His people to separate from the moral contamination of this world’s system. Peter proclaims, “but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (1 Peter 1:15).  Employment Point:  Live acc...
Read more

How are you responding to Jesus’ hospitality as an honored guest?

  11 Feb 26 Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One Readings: Leviticus 13 Matthew 26:20-54 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me (Revelation 3:20). How are you responding to Jesus’ hospitality as an honored guest? The triclinium is used for the Passover meal. It consists of three couches. Guests would recline with their left hand supporting their head while feeding themselves with their right hand. Traditionally the two most honored guests at the feast would recline on the right and left hand of the host. John, who reclines on the Lord’s breast, sits at Jesus’ right (John 13:23) and Judas on His left. When Jesus identifies His betrayer, no one hears but Judas, who is sitting next to Him (Matthew 26:25). John repays Jesus’ invitation for eternal life and intimacy by a lifetime of service; Judas betrays Him for thirty pieces of silver. Employment Po...
Read more

He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” (John 6:5).

  16 May 26 Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One Readings: 2 Kings 15 2 Kings 16 2 Kings 17 John 6:1-21 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do (John 6:6).  He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” (John 6:5). Jesus doesn’t ask the above question to Philip because He needs an answer; our Lord knows all things. The Good Shepherd’s question has a twofold effect: It shows the inability of men to meet the needs of mankind and displays the impossibility of feeding the vast multitude. Philip should have turned to Jesus and said, “For with God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37). This is the first miracle the disciples participate in with the Lord. Amazingly, Jesus provides “as much [bread and fish] as they wanted” (John 6:11). The verb “they wanted” occurs in the imperfect tense, showing continual action in past time. Jesus also had “twelve baskets with the fragments” left over to feed the ...
Read more