When you think about hospitality what are some of the first thoughts that come to your mind? Do you think about an employee in the hospitality industry such as a host/hostess at a restaurant, a flight attendant for an airline, or a desk clerk at hotel? Do you think about someone that is kind and friendly or often invites people into their home?
When we look into scripture we can see a clear picture of what it means to be hospitable. This characteristic is not for just the paid employee who wants to keep his or her job or make money. It is not just for homeowners and people that often entertain. Hospitality is a characteristic of people that want to be pleasing before God. It is to be shown in our occupations as well as in our homes. It is to be shown everywhere we go. It is a charactertistic that we as Christians need to remember is commanded by God and is not merely a suggestion.
Hospitality is so important to God that He made it one of the requirements for men that wanted to serve as shepherds (1 Timothy 3:2). But this quality is not reserved soley for shepherds. God wants all of us to be hospitable. In Romans 12:13 we see that as Christians we should be seeking to show hospitality to those around us. This would include those that are Christians and those that are not (Galatians 6:10).
Jesus’s life and ministry teaches us a lot of what it means to be hospitable. Not only are we to be seeking opportunities to show hospitality, we are also to do so with the right intentions and towards all people. We should not just be hospitable towards our friends or towards people we think can do something for us or reward us in some way. In Luke 14:12-14 Jesus taught about showing hospitality towards those that cannot repay or reward us. The reward we are truly seeking is of God and He will give that reward to those that faithfully and humbly serve Him. In Matthew 25:34-46 we see that those that will recieve the reward of God are those that lived as humble servants towards all men and God. Those that do not humble themselves and serve will be cast away into that eternal fire.
Showing hospitality will not always be easy and sometimes it will require a great deal of work, but we should all continue to work and serve and show our hospitality without complaining ( 1 Peter 4:9). If we want to be pleasing before God we should seek to show Christian hospitality everywhere we go.
Derek Broome