I find myself saying this to just about anyone I talk to. Today I was sitting talking with a friend who is a few years younger than Ie. She was reminiscing back to when she was young and she remembers there was always a pot of soup on the stove and guests coming over unannounced. WOW, think of that….an unscheduled visit and a knock at the door that were welcome. I have friends that will greet you at the door if you do the “pop-in” and stare at you like you have invaded their territory.
My friend’s comment to me was…”what happened to hospitality”? And my question back to you is yes….what ever happen to it? The Bible speaks clearly on this and since the Bible has not changed….neither has this gift given to us to use.
Do you have the gift?
Do you enjoy having people over?
Do you enjoy being an encouragement?
Do you enjoy serving the Lord?
Did the Lord give you a gift of a home that you know you should be using?
People that have the gift of hospitality are people who tend to have an “open home” attitude and always make you feel welcomed in their home. Do you know someone like this? They consider their house a home and not just a house. Somehow they have a way of making you feel like kicking off your shoes, having a cup of coffee and curling up on the couch. How would I feel if I needed a friend to chat with and popped in at your house? Would I feel welcomed or that I was bothering you? Would you have the coffee ready for me or would you remind me there is a coffee shop on the next block. Would your couch be available for a place to chat or would it be too pretty and tidy that you would not want me to mess up your house or routine?
The gift of hospitality doesn’t mean that you need a fancy home, lots of pretty things, lots of money or fancy food….it is an attitude that you will create when I walk through your front door.
What does the Bible teach us on this subject?
* Romans 12:14
Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
* I Peter 4: 9 – 10
Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
* Luke 10: 38
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.
* Hebrews 13: 1- 2
Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
Ladies….we need to share this gift with each other. It is a lost art that needs to be brought back to life in our homes. It is a gift that the Lord speaks clearly on. It is a gift if you ever have had the chance to be part of in someone’s home…it will stay with you forever.
Come join with me and start a new trend of “Hospitality on the Rise”.
Lynn Wilson
Lynn Wilson a wife and a mother of two boy. Currently on Staff at America’s Keswick for the past 20 years. She has been involved in her local church in women’s ministries as well as speaking for other churches and retreats. Her mission statement would be to…touch one life so in turn they can touch a life for eternity. Her greatest joy is to go home at the end of her work day and spend time with her family and enjoy her first ministry which is being a wife and mother.
Victory Call 
Dear Lynn,
I LOVED this writing which you submitted. Thank you so very much for sharing it with us.
Boy! I really have a lot to add regarding this very important topic. First, I’ve struggled with hospitality most of my life.
I had a large family and we, admittedly, stuck to somewhat of a routine in order to tend to each person effectively.
I also had a day care for 14 years. I ALSO was not a terrific cook, as my mother believed that children should spend
their tender years playing; not “working” in the kitchen. Hence, I really did not cultivate a love of kitchen and hospitality while I was growing up.
Later in life, I realized that there was an important dimension missing in my home because of my “stinginess” with sharing our lovely house with others. (I WAS one of those folks who opened the knocked-on front door and stared at unannounced visitors !!!) Well, I decided one year that I was going to change my isolating attitude. I purchased some crockpot cookbooks, 4 crockpots, and used them almost every day. Life changed for the better. I had tasty snacks and foods simmering almost daily, had plenty of bowls to share our bounty, crockpot cooking is almost foolproof, and our family’s world changed for the better because there was easy cooking and eating available continually.
Folks enjoyed our jumbalaya seafood, meatloaf, soups, child, etc. – OH, and I also purchased a bread machine, so we were always prepared for guests. Our life became happier as a family because we were able to entertain friends without it feeling like a chore, our children had new playmates as a result of that, also, because – as Nikita Krushchev from Russia once said, “I never met a person who didn’t like me, nor did I ever go to war, with somebody with whom I ate dinner.”
So – let’s strive in 2014 to have “Mary homes”…..places of warm coziness and simple comfort foods. As one wise author once wrote, “If Jesus was to stop by your home unannounced today, would He be welcome? Are you prepared to serve angels unawares in your home?”
Thanks, again, Lynn, for the thought-provoking writing.
Stephanie Dickinson
B.S.Min., B.S.B.S.
CCAC, CPAC
Lancaster, Pa.
Thank you for your words of wisdom….today as I sat and read your thoughts, it inspired me to want to turn the crock pot and wait for that “unscheduled guest. I appreciate your honesty and thank you for sharing your gifts with God’s people. May the Lord bless you each time you open your heart and home. Lynn