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The Bible is clear that we are to pursue hospitality (Rom 12:13).\u00a0 I am going to assume for the purpose of this post that you are at least open to the idea of hospitality, but that your challenge is that the task seems overwhelming.\u00a0 Here are 5 ways to practice hospitality in your busy life.<\/p>\n
One of the major hospitality killers is the preparation work.\u00a0 Just to be frank, if you must spend 4 hours getting ready to have someone over, then you will not have people over very often.\u00a0 It will not seem worth it.\u00a0 Please remember that it is possible to err on both sides of this equation.\u00a0 On the one hand, it is not wise for your home to be a dump when you have guests. On the other hand, your identity is not wrapped up in the cleanliness of your home.\u00a0 The goal is to be hospitable, not for people to be impressed with you or the things God has given you.<\/p>\n
This implies that you (as a couple) must develop a reasonable standard regarding how clean and neat your home must be for guests.<\/strong> I can speak about this from experience.\u00a0 This used to be a source of contention in my home.\u00a0 My wife and I had very different ideas and neither one of us was very balanced.\u00a0 End result:\u00a0 we had people over to our home once or twice a year.\u00a0 Today, we host lots of people in our home \u2013 monthly if not more frequently.\u00a0 But we had to come to some balance before it was going to be worth it.<\/p>\n We are not saying that our balance is the standard, but maybe it will be help to some:<\/p>\n These simple rules have helped each of us know what to do and how much time it will actually take to get ready.\u00a0 In our case, this work takes about 1 hour if we are having a small group over, and no more than 2 hours even if we were going to have 40 people in our home. <\/strong> A reasonable balance is an important part of having people into your home.<\/p>\n If you were planning to watch a football game, a basketball game, a movie, or an Olympic event, do that with a few of your friends.\u00a0 In this case, you can exercise hospitality without worrying about whether your guests are entertained. <\/strong>Even if you don\u2019t know what to talk about, the game will provide a few opportunities.\u00a0 It takes the pressure off you, you were planning to do this anyway, and in the end it will be a step toward greater hospitality.<\/p>\n I mentioned earlier that preparations for the home should not take more than an hour or so, but anyone who has hosted people for dinner knows that dinner preparations are an entirely different story.\u00a0 Here are three reasons why I think starting with dinner is a recipe for “no more hospitality:”<\/p>\n My point\u2026start with dessert.\u00a0 You can go to the store and buy a big tub of ice cream and a box of brownies for less than $8.\u00a0 You can ask others to bring their favorite dessert.\u00a0 You can declare the evening “gluttony free,” and you can enjoy having junk food while you play a board or card game with your friends.<\/p>\n One of the other hospitality killers is the concept of “family time.” \u00a0There is a sense, in the minds of some, that hospitality means that my family will suffer.\u00a0 In reality, hospitality is one of the best things you could do for your family<\/strong>.\u00a0 Having your children help clean, help prepare, and interact with others are all crucial biblical skills.\u00a0 It will develop in your children a focus and concern for others rather than a selfish attitude that we are all so prone to exhibit.<\/p>\n In addition, we have found that our kids love it.\u00a0 We have a game night for young couples in our church about four times a year.\u00a0 Our kids (13, 8, and 4) love “Young Couples” game night.\u00a0 They like to play the games and they like to hang out with the “Young Couples” \u2013 and they really love the awesome spread of junk food, pop, and candy that is inevitably in our kitchen!\u00a0 Game night is not a night when our kids suffer.\u00a0 It is a night when our kids serve and are served.<\/p>\n Remember, hospitality is good for your family.<\/p>\n Hospitality takes some work \u2013 even simple<\/em> hospitality takes some work.\u00a0 But it is also helpful to remember that many people in our churches have never been invited to someone’s home before.<\/strong> They have lots of acquaintances, but they have very few friends.\u00a0 You never know how one little act of kindness could brighten someone\u2019s day and life.\u00a0 Your willingness to be hospitable could be one of the things the Lord uses to help others grow.\u00a0 Think back to the times when someone cared enough to invite you over.<\/p>\n Much more could be said about hospitality tips, but I chose these 5 to demonstrate that hospitality is both a heart issue and a hands issue.\u00a0 When we remember the Lord’s commands, we should be motivated to be hospitable.\u00a0 At the same time, these tips should help make it as easy as possible.<\/p>\n\n
#2.\u00a0 Begin with something that you were planning to do already<\/strong><\/h2>\n
#3.\u00a0 Consider a dessert event with games<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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#4.\u00a0 Remember that hospitality teaches your children–so involve them<\/strong><\/h2>\n
#5.\u00a0 Remind yourself that we live in a world with lots of acquaintances, but very few friends<\/strong><\/h2>\n