For the previous posts in this series, visit here.
The third reason we are aiming to live a simple lifestyle is in order to maintain a hospitable home. I want our home to be a place of refuge to those whom God calls us to serve, whether it be neighbors, incorporating new families from the church or strengthening old relationships. Hospitality is a command!
After discussing that every member has a gift to contribute to the well-being of the entire body, Paul commands that we be devoted to one another, serving in the Lord, “contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality” (Rom. 12:13). And in 1 Peter 4:9, “Be hospitable to one another without complaint.”
Am I making a regular habit of welcoming others into my home? It seems like fellowship at church and just bumping into the neighbors can be somewhat limiting at times, so having people into my home can serve to lead in much more lengthy and edifying conversations. Hospitality is such a blessing and gift to others. Enjoying a warm meal together is not that common anymore in our day and age. In the last 25 years, having friends over to your home is down 45 percent (according to Harvard professor Robert Putnam). Let’s change the tide and seek to bless others! It doesn’t have to be complicated. The fact that you extended an invitation is a blessing enough. Don’t limit yourself because you might not have the gift, or be able to creative amazing meals, or have a perfectly clean home. God will bless your efforts if you seek to be used of Him to minister from your home.
Giving my best to bless others
In light of this, I personally have come under conviction in the past few months that I need to serve my best and the highest quality possible when serving my guests. I want to consider their health as well! I believe if I just serve them second rate quality because it is cheaper, than I am not serving them sacrificially. I have struggled with being a cheap stake, and not desiring to serve my organic food, because it was more expensive and I wanted to keep it for myself. My motives have been selfish and impure. I have realized that God truly blesses me when I give my best! It is a sacrifice, but is releases my grasp upon the things of this world, and draws my attention more to serving and edifying others. This is not to say that you have to buy organic food for your guests…but whatever eating lifestyle you maintain, give your best! Don’t skimp and hold the best for yourselves. Making a hospitality budget helps significantly in this area!
This is another reason why we are choosing a simple lifestyle…in order to give our best, not just in food, but also in leading in Godly, edifying conversation and prayer together!
Resources and previous posts on this topic:
Growing Together in Christ: Hospitality
The Personal Touch: Encouraging Other through Hospitality by Rachael Crabb – an excellent book on the topic!
Face to Face: Mediations on Friendship and Hospitality by Steve Wilkins
Here is an excellent sermon by Marc Driscoll from Mars Hill Church on the topic of hospitality:
I just found this blog so I am commenting on a very old post, but I wanted to add something about hospitality. My husband and I always have people over to eat at our house, and at first he constantly had to tell me to sit down and stop being such a “Martha.” I finally understood why when we were at some friends’ house and the wife spent the whole time in the kitchen serving us. I just wanted her to sit down and join our coversation, and didn’t care that much about coffee anymore! So now when people are over, I try to spend as much time as possible entertaining and being with them, rather than serving. I try to have everything ready beforehand, so I can focus on our guests, not the food. I take coffee and dessert into the living room on a tray with cups, sugar, and cream, so I’m not hiding in the kitchen while I prepare everything.
Just some ideas!
And thanks for this blog! Like many from my generation, I didn’t grow up learning how to keep a house. Now I’m learning everything from scratch, and it helps to learn from others who are pursuing similar visions!
What a wonderful post! I never connected not wanting to serve the most nutritious food to my guests with Paul’s command to be hospitable although I have done a Bible study on Romans recently and totally should have
Thanks for making that clear to me. I feel a little dense now; but grateful nonetheless.
Really, the only day we can entertain are Sundays. we both work, and it’s a lot to have company during the week. And we haven’t been convicted in our spirits about this, so we must be doing something right!
We never gave our guests anything we don’t eat ourselves. Our guests do know ahead of time we are vegetarians, and to expect something vegetarian. Altho I have been able to use Tofu before!
Thank you for this honest and informative post, Lindsay. There are so many opportunities in life to serve others and sometimes it is hard to recognize them!
We try to have people over 1-3 times a week, though it doesn’t always work out. One thing that has really helped us in this department is to make a crockpot of soup on Saturday, plug it in on Sunday morning, and we can bring guests home to eat immediately after church — no cooking and minimal prep.
I ordered the book by Rachel Crabb on hospitality just a couple days ago — I’m amused you mentioned it!
Great job, lizzykristine! I would love to be able to do that…but with a little one and other commitments we have purposed to have hospitality 2-3 times a month. That seems to work really well for us. But I commend you!
This is one reason we have chosen to live frugally as well! I want to pour out my life for others, not just my immediate family members, but whomever God calls me to bless
I have found that God blesses a sincere and hospitable home. Even in times of dire financial straits (the market for my husband’s kind of work was very unstable for many years after the dotcom bust, so we’ve been through three periods of unemployment and two periods of barely scraping by), when we extended our homes and hands to others, somehow we not only had enough, but multiplied. It’s amazing how that works!
My mom and my little brothers attend Mars Hill; they really enjoy Mark Driscoll.