Show Hospitality–Biblical Hospitality–as Ministry

You and I want to show hospitality and use it as ministry from our homes. We want to make a difference and God says to practice hospitality. How can we implement more hospitality into our lives and family, easily, when life is so crazy-busy? We want to have Christ in the middle of our hospitality…how do we do that? What is Biblical hospitality, anyway? This is the first post in the Series on “Hospitality as Family Ministry,” in which I’ll give you the tools to begin now, to practice Biblical hospitality.

We’ll be talking about Biblical Hospitality, how to prepare to easily practice it, non-traditional ways to show hospitality when you don’t even have a home, how to stay motivated, how to avoid becoming overwhelmed, ways to avoid comparison, having a joyful attitude, loving people, establishing boundaries, being an example to and training your children to show hospitality in their future homes, and I’ll be giving you an opportunity to go deeper in this subject with me, which I’m excited to tell you more about later!

Hospitality as Family Ministry – 3 Part Series

I’m excited to welcome you here to my “home,” so to speak–my blog home–that is, for this Series, specifically on “How to Use Hospitality as a Family Ministry.”

I’ll Pass My Experience In Showing Hospitality On To You

This series is born out of our family’s experience and study. We’ve always practiced hospitality. Two years when we had an exceptional amount of people in our home and kept track of numbers, we had over 400 people through our home each of those years. Each month for part of one of those years, we hosted two events, one where we fed 30 adults a full meal, and one where we had a church service and potluck following in our home, with 30 people (adults and children) attending.

How to Easily Show Hospitality, Biblically!

At that time, my grown daughter and son were both living at home, and we were a well-oiled machine, getting the work done, with efficiency! However, I also know what it’s like to be a single, a couple, a mom of small children, and an empty-nester (with much less energy, I might add:) ! I have learned many tips and tricks, (and to rely on the Lord) and want to pass on what I’ve learned to you, and encourage you!

Showing Hospitality Is A Massive Topic

There is much to share about the topic of Biblical Hospitality, and especially using it in your home and family as ministry. At the end of this series, I’ll be sharing with you an opportunity. I’m so excited to tell you about that! Keep coming back and look for that announcement!

I want to jump in and share today about some of the obstacles that might be keeping you from showing hospitality. I think that there are three main areas or obstacles that keep people from showing hospitality.

Three Main Obstacles People Face To Showing Hospitality:

People don’t think that their home is clean enough or nice enough
They don’t know what to serve their guests, and,
They don’t know what to talk about once the guests get there

What it Means to Show Hospitality

Tips To Help You Dive In and Show Hospitality

I want you to be able to dive in and begin to practice hospitality immediately, so here are a couple of tips in each of the three areas to help you easily overcome these obstacles.

Defining What It Means To Show Hospitality

First, it might be helpful to define what we mean by hospitality. I’ll share with you, first, the dictionary definition and then share what is considered by many to be the Biblical distinction.

Merriam Webster’s Dictionary defines hospitality as, “generous and friendly treatment of visitors and guests or hospitable treatment.” Dictionary.com goes further to define it as, “the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.”

Biblical Distinction of How to Show Hospitality

Biblical hospitality goes, in my opinion, and that of many others, beyond entertainment, or “generous and friendly treatment.”

How to Show Hospitality

“Someone has made a distinction between entertainment and hospitality. Entertainment emphasizes things while hospitality emphasizes the person and particular care for them. In Scripture, hospitality is especially practiced with strangers, travelers, and those in special need (like the poor). Jesus particularly enjoins us to reach out to the needy (Luke 14:12-14); to those who cannot recompense us. However, as seen in 1 Peter 4:9, we are also to practice hospitality with one another.”

“The Old Testament practice of hospitality is given to us in the New Testament as an important part of our love to others. Hospitality refers to the practice of treating others as special guests. Both host and guest come from the same root word that is used for hospitality, hospital, hospice, hostel, and hotel. It means to receive some as a guest and actively take care of their needs for rest and refreshment.”

I’ll talk more about to what extent, how much, how long, what does it look like–practically speaking, and can we pull away, agreeing with your husband on how you’ll practice hospitality, hospitality as an introvert, etc., later. Keep coming back for all the posts in this series and let me know your questions and thoughts in the comments!

How to Easily Show Hospitality, Biblically!

Obstacle #1: My House Isn’t Clean Enough or Nice Enough To Show Hospitality

First, if your house isn’t spotless, don’t worry. Most people are not concerned about how clean your house is. They just want to know that you care about them and spend time with you.

So, make sure that the areas you’re going to be spending time with your guests in are de-cluttered.

Show Hospitality By De-cluttering Areas Your Guests Will Spend Time In

What it Means to Show Hospitality

In my home, I like to have the areas that you can see from the front door de-cluttered, so that if someone were to drop in on me, it would be ok. When we have guests, this is the same, so de-cluttering the areas we will be in means the living room, the eating area and if you walk a few more steps in, the family room.

And, if you were going to come to my home we would probably spend the majority of our time in this room, the family room. So, I would want that, too, de-cluttered.

You Don’t Need A Spotless House to Show Hospitality

Secondly, after de-cluttering the areas you’ll be spending time in, clean one of your bathrooms.

Probably this is your main bathroom that you would clean so that a guest can use it.

“Most people who you show hospitality to are not concerned about how clean your house is. They just want to know that you care about them and to spend time with you.”

Wendy Gunn

Obstacle #2: What to Serve Your Guests When You Show Hospitality

How to Show Hospitality

So, obstacle #2 is: What to Serve Them. If you are having trouble with this, start with something simple. Invite just a small number of people: maybe a couple or a small family, and have dessert. Don’t even start with a meal.

Start Small When You Begin To Show Hospitality

I suggest brownies and maybe you could serve them with ice cream. A brownie mix is great. In fact, sometimes those are the best-tasting.

Obstacle #3: What to Talk About When Showing Hospitality

People Like To Talk About Themselves

How to Easily Show Hospitality, Biblically!

People like to talk about themselves and they will feel that you’re warm and care about them, if you have questions to ask them. If this is someone you have not gotten to know well before–you’re having them to your home for the first time–just ask questions about where do they work? Where did they grow up? How many children were in their family (siblings) growing up?

That kind of starts the ball rolling and then one of my favorite questions to ask is to ask a couple how did they meet?

Asking Good Questions Is One Of The Best Tools In Showing Biblical Hospitality

Asking a couple, how did they meet, is always a fun story, and if the family is at your home, oftentimes the children don’t even know the story and it is very fun to listen. You can get both versions, which are usually different, from the husband and the wife.

What it Means to Show Hospitality

“

If we have a Christian guest in our home, one of my favorite questions to ask is, “How did you come to know the Lord?” These are rich conversation-starters.

Wendy Gunn

“

Showing Hospitality to Christian Guests

If we have a Christian man, woman or couple in your home, one of my very favorite questions to ask is, “How did you come to know the Lord?” These are really rich conversation-starters and oftentimes they will reciprocate by asking you the same questions and that will take quite a bit of your time, as far as talking.

The children who are blessed to hear these stories will be changed by them. They will learn how to be saved. They will hear that God is mighty to change sinners and make them new. If you have missionaries in your home, and I recommend you make opportunities to do so, they will hear of ordinary men and women taking the gospel to faraway lands, and how God has spread His Word around the world. It will grow their faith and inspire all of you to use your gifts to share the gospel.

By the time that your guests are ready to leave, you will know your guests just a little bit better. You will have shown the love of Christ to them. You will have shown Biblical hospitality. Easily.

I hope that you will dive in and practice hospitality, using these tips to overcome the three main obstacles, and invite someone over this week, or in the next month. You’ll be the one most blessed.

Hospitality as Family Ministry – 3 Part Series

Have a Great Week Making Your Home For God!

Yourhomeforgod.com

I help moms with the overwhelm. To grow spiritually with joy in who God uniquely created you and your family to be, raise Godly children, and get your body, home and life in order for the glory of God, through Ebooks, courses, and group and individual coaching.

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