The Lord has really been talkin' hospitality lately. You know, when He drops the clues at every corner....turn on a TV, there's hospitality staring at you, turn on the radio, there's hospitality blaring at you, turn a page in a magazine, there it is again! :0)So, I began wondering if their was a lack of it in our lives...after all, we don't exactly host a meal for "passers-by" every week, right? And we haven't exactly set aside a spare room for missionaries or invite people over for coffee and biscuits every Tuesday. (Feel free to insert multiple excuses here) But as I was exploring the topic of hospitality, I came to the conclusion that there are two very distinct types: worldly hospitality and then godly hospitality. One being "entertainment" and the other being "sacrifice."
After seeking my Lord on the matter, He so graciously set my mind at peace.
We may not be called to a fancy home or even matching dishes for that matter, but we have been called to be a light for our God. I am learning that it takes sacrifice though. Setting aside our foolish pride to express Jesus in every capacity we can. And if it's truly for Jesus it seems to cost us something: time, energy, but most of all pride.
Are we really willing to sacrifice our time and energy to invite someone into our home? Usually by the time supper is over, all I want to do is fall into bed! But "Teach us Lord to number our days.." That our time is not our own but rather Yours, to use as you see fit. Are we really willing and open to having someone interrupt our well planned out schedule when Holy Spirit says, "Invite that person over." I mean, what if the house is a mess, the kids are behaving crazy, we're exhausted, or we have nothing to offer but water ?? Are we really willing to sacrifice our pride for the sake of being a light for Jesus? The Lord suggested to me that most people are exactly where we are anyway, but nobody takes the plunge and just allows others into their lives....just as they are....mess and all. That's what makes it real, that's what truly shows Jesus is there. An open invitation to share in our life, real life and all it's messiness.....with cheap tuna casseroles, paper plates, loud children, dirty floors, and yesterday's laundry still piled on the couch :0)
**Side note: This made me consider the church body as a whole. Are we simply entertaining or are we offering real hospitality???
