My parents have definitely developed the gift of Hospitality. Growing up, there was almost never a time my parents weren’t investing in the members of the church and community by opening their home to them.
No matter the occasion or where we would go if someone wanted to tag along they were welcomed.
I actually didn’t like it as much because there was always a lack of privacy, however, as I aged I realized that this was an awesome spiritual gift that God has given to my parents.
The fruit of their labor is still evident to this day.
The gift of Hospitality is evident in every part of the Bible. It is in the Old and New Testament. Every single person that develops and practices this gift can be assured of one thing.
And that is, God will reward every act of kindness whether big or small as long as it is genuine and brings glory to God. This gift is given to us when we become children of God and it is something that every believing woman of God possesses.
When it comes to love, hospitality is one of its fruits. Just think about it, can we really claim to love God and others without being kind and hospitable?
The term “hospitality” is defined as, ‘The quality of kindness and generosity towards others.’
(Witthoff, D. (Ed.). (2014). The Lexham Cultural Ontology Glossary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.)
It is a combination of being kind and generous. You don’t have to give away the money that you need to provide for your family but there is much that all of us can do to be hospitable.
Mary, Martha, and Hospitality
These women were very close to the heart of Jesus. Martha wanted to do something special for Jesus and invited him to their home so she could do what she does best: be hospitable.
Although all believers should exercise the gift of hospitality, for some of us it doesn’t come naturally. This is why we need to continuously develop it. It is also why the Holy Spirit is at work in us.
Martha had no problem going into the kitchen and preparing for her company. However, Mary decided to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to his teaching.
Was Mary right or was Martha right? They both were.
Mary needed to work on being more hospitable and Martha needed to slow down and relax a little.
What Martha didn’t recognize was that the job that she chose to do was important. When she saw that everyone else wanted to listen to Jesus instead of helping her, she took the focus off the necessity of her job and put more emphasis on Mary’s.
There should be a balance in everything that we do.
This instance was not the only time that this special family was mentioned. Jesus loved this family as though they were a part of not just his spiritual family but his physical. He frequented their home and cried when they experienced grief.
Martha liked being hospitable but it is a requirement for all believers. You can be Mary and Martha combined. Learn at the feet of Jesus and be kind and generous to others.
The Holy Spirit
As with any gift that the believer receives, it all comes through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. This is one of the duties that the Holy Spirit provides to us as believers. He grants us the gifts that we need.
On earth, we are the hands and feet of Jesus. We are the ones that the world looks to when a crisis arises. When they need prayer or comfort, the unsaved women of this world will look to us.
Jesus said that we are the salt and light in this world.
My friend, the only reason that God hasn’t descended in judgment on the earth and its inhabitants is that you and I are still here.
Any gift that we receive, whether it’s the fruit of the spirit, teaching, or exhortation, the Holy Spirit is the one that gives it.
If you not in fellowship with Christ, then it’s time to get back on track because the work that the Holy Spirit has begun in you is not complete.
It’s not just up to the Holy Spirit though, God wants you to take an active part in developing the gift of hospitality whether it comes naturally or not.
Do you remember what happened to Lot and his family? Abraham pleaded on the behalf of his nephew Lot that God would spare Sodom and Gomorrah.
But Lot had no influence there. As a matter of fact, the life that he lived was one that didn’t stand out in the crowd. Lot and his family hid their light under a bushel. The people in the city had no idea that Lot was serving God.
How do we win them over? How do we point them to Jesus through the way that we live? By being loving.
But more than that, we ought to be hospitable.
Let me just say here: hospitality in the life of believing women of God is not optional. I would daresay it is mandatory.
This is not an optional gift that God has allowed us to choose. We are all called to be hospitable, just like Jesus Christ is and was when he was on earth.
Jesus came to Serve us
The greatest example of demonstrating hospitality is Jesus. He came to earth and died a death that we couldn’t die to redeem us back to himself. If you pay close attention to the ministry of Jesus it is obvious that he came to serve mankind.
From the first miracle to the ones that he is performing to this very day, all of it has been and is for his people.
When Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, he wasn’t thinking about himself, he wanted to show the disciples how they should treat others. And even now the theme of hospitality is rich in God’s word.
If God of very God, our Creator could be hospitable toward us his created being, what about you and I?
That’s why it is time for us as believers to put our love into action.
It’s no longer good enough to say, “I love you” or “let me pray for you” It’s time for us to display our love.
Practical ways to display Hospitality
Practice makes perfect. If you want to be a great dancer then you have to practice. Want to be a motivational speaker? Well, that takes practice too. If you want to develop the gift of hospitality in your life, then you have to practice.
This means that you are going to look around you, in your local church, community, schools, neighborhoods and find practical ways to help those who need help.
Start at Home.
First, start at home. If you are married then you have to serve your husband whether he wants you to or not. You have to serve your children as well. This is a time to ask yourself the question, “What would Jesus do?” In serving others you will notice that it is not one-sided.
I can assure you that your husband, children and or family will find ways to serve you as well and then your job will be to accept it with gratitude.
Jesus washed his disciple’s feet but he also allowed Mary of Bethany to wash his feet with expensive perfume and dry them with her hair. He didn’t refuse her worship.
Minister to the Homeless
I’m not telling you to give them money if you don’t think that it’s wise. But you can offer to buy them a plate of food, give them a lift to where they want to go, and especially witness to them.
But most importantly, meet their need if you can do so. Let’s look at Jesus again. Whenever he was going to address a crowd or if he met with the disciples in the upper room, there was always food. Before he told anyone of their heart condition, he met their needs. If they had someone in their house that was sick, if they were blind or lame he healed them and then he shared the good news with them.
You can not witness to someone who is hungry. I don’t know about you but I can’t really function when I’m hungry. So, meet the need of the homeless one. This is a great way of developing the gift of hospitality.
Help the Widows.
The Bible clearly tell us to minister to widows. They have a very special place in God’s heart. The universal church is the bride of Christ and as such God is our bridegroom, he will never die, he will never leave nor forsake us.
However, that guarantee is not here on earth, a woman can become a widow because death still reigns on earth and he has no respect for anyone. So, when someone has spent much of her life serving her husband she needs encouragement and friendship to combat the loneliness.
So, what can you do?
You can give her a call, take her grocery shopping, probe her for marital or dating advice, send her word of encouragement or devotional via text. The possibilities are endless. Just be open to helping the widows at your church or in the community and God will bless you. I’m sure that you will be blessed by her too.
Serve the Youth
This isn’t one that is so popular but it is just as important. I’ve talked before about being a mentor while being mentored by someone else. And this is because the youth are a very important part of the church.
Youth are always hungry, they need extra help and guidance as well. Nothing is wrong with showing up with treats specifically for the youth to encourage them to keep serving God.
Let them know how much you appreciate their presence. This is not just for the youth in the church, look around in your community, there is plenty of youth that you can serve while developing the gift of hospitality.
You can ask them to wash your car and pay them of course. How about inviting them to come to your home to bake or having a special party for them to have good social fellowship.
The youth of today craves our attention and it’s not okay to overlook or ignore them because they are young. God has called the young because they are strong and with their strength, they can turn the world upside down for Jesus.
If you are a youth, you can also serve other youth in your community. Do you have anyone in your class that could use something that you don’t need anymore? Maybe you can invite them to your house to study and eat dinner.
It’s now up to you
Being hospitable is really not hard. The Holy Spirit will prompt you whenever an opportunity arises and you will be surprised at how much closer you feel to God when you serve others. Not only will you reap rewards in heaven but you will reap rewards here on earth too.
If you want to know more about hospitality and service, then be certain to sign up for my 5-day email devotional course by clicking on the image.
I love you with the love of Christ.
Keneesha 🙂
