The Art of Hospitality



Photo courtesy of Luxury Home Interiors

December always brings plenty of social events. Family get-togethers, girls' night out, employee's Christmas party, even the Christmas ball - there are more than enough opportunities to be with others around this holiday season. But too often we get focused on where we are going to and neglect an opportunity that is often afforded to us, but in most cases is rarely taken advantage of - the art of true hospitality.

"Be hospitable to one another without grumbling."

~ 1 Peter 2:9 ~

Just like etiquette, hospitality is a fading ideal in our modern society. Quite frankly, we usually think of being hospitable whenever it benefits us. Many of our ideas about fellowship and "hanging out" have turned into a shopping spree to the mall, pizza and a movie, or going to get a manicure done. Don't get me wrong; pizza is really good and movies are fun (those are the only two I can legitimately speak of since my shopping record is quite dismal and I have yet to get a manicure or pedicure done). But true Biblical hospitality is so much more than having a few friends over and watching the latest flick. Rather, it is a demonstration of honor, love, and selflessness. Through hospitality, we can build up fellow Christians in the faith. It's an opportunity to open our home to those in need of shelter, food, and love. It's a practical way of laying aside your own desires and pouring into the lives of those who are lonely, discouraged, sick, or struggling.

". . . 'When you give a dinner or a supper,

do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors,

lest they also invited you back,

and you be repaid.

But when you give a feast,

invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind.

And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you;

for you shall be repaid at the

resurrection of the just."

~ Luke 14:12-14 ~

The Lord's call to hospitality seems quite backwards in our modern way of thinking. Instead of using hospitality as a way to boost our social status, our home ought to be a haven for the outcasts of society. Understand there is strong Scriptural endorsement of having relatives and close friends over for a meal. But we shouldn't stop there. Christ calls us to invite the lost, lonely, and poor into our homes and treat them as royalty. Hospitality, much like other social graces, is a mark of Christ-centered femininity. When a woman's focus is not on herself, but on serving, honoring, and blessing those in need, hospitality is a natural by-product.

So, what are some ways we can build an atmosphere that is conducive towards Biblical hospitality?

For one, start with yourself. No one likes to go to a home where the hostess is bustling around the house and never sits down to sincerely enjoy the fellowship. A woman who displays a demeanor of restlessness and disquiet will most likely diffuse that to her guests. Creating a hospitable atmosphere starts in our hearts. You house the very essence of true hospitality - being a place of refreshment and peace to your guests. When you exude an attitude of peace and contentment, many times that allows your guests to relax and enjoy the time they will have with you. Offering a listening ear, praying with friends, or even just the simple gesture of spending time with someone are ways in which you can be a refreshment to others.

The other is your external environment. If you've ever seen a Thomas Kinkade painting of a cottage or home, you've probably noticed the "window glow" that he almost always uses. It's a glow that comes from a home full of laughter and warmth. He puts it this way.

"Here in America, we've installed television sets everywhere

so that people never have to converse.

Have you ever walked at night by a window

where the television was on?

The light is dim and cold.

But walk at night by a window where a fire is flickering,

where a candle is lit,

and see the difference.

The warm glow in the windows is so inviting

that it draws you in.

It's not high-tech entertainment that puts warmth in the windows,

but human connection.

It's human warmth that makes up the golden glow."

~ Thomas Kinkade ~

Does your home have the "window glow?" Candles, home-made meals, soft music, fresh-baked cookies, and flower arrangements are just a few things that can add the cozy and welcoming light to your home. But apart from the exterior, we must also consider the attitudes and activities that take place while hosting guests. Is your conversation meaningful? Is your ear open to their heart? Can you cultivate a fun and family environment without having to use technology? Do people come away from your house feeling as if they have encountered Christ?

As you make a welcoming environment, it's always helpful to have a notebook handy to jot down any last-minute ideas. Creating a fun and warm atmosphere for your guests is one of the most enjoyable parts of Christ-centered hospitality. Not only are we rewarded by seeing our guests walk away fulfilled, but we know we have honored the Lord by becoming His hands and feet to those who are in need of refreshment.

Oh, Give Thanks to the Lord!

School is out. The trees have shed their last golden tear. Canned goods have overtaken the pantry. Every morning the ground is dusted with a thin layer of frost, or perhaps where you live the first snow has come. Visiting arrangements are made, mouth-watering aromas waft through the kitchen, and if your house is anything like ours around Thanksgiving, already the strains of Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby can be heard throughout the house.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, perhaps even more than Christmas. Not only is there a boatload of food, but as we gather with family and friends, it is a time to thank the Lord for all the abundant blessings that He, only by His grace, has showered on our lives. As I will be quite busy during this week, I am going to be taking a break from blogging. By next Monday, I hope to resume a regular blogging schedule. I pray you all have a joy-filled Thanksgiving!

"Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord will gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us,

and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the

sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

and into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

and His truth endures to all generations."

~ Psalm 100 ~

Becoming the Dwelling Place of the Lord

For those of us who are believers in Christ, we know that salvation does not end in the prayer that we pray and the confession we make. It is a continual process of having faith to believe in His word and the Holy Spirit's sanctification in our lives, molding us to conform into the image of our Lord. When we invite Christ to dwell inside of us, we don't just “make room” amid the sin and filth in our lives; by His grace, we surrender all that we have and are in exchange for all that He is and has planned for us. Our bodies literally become the tabernacle (or dwelling place) of the Lord; we house the Spirit of God inside of us. And His temple is not to be defiled.

“Or do you not knowthat your body

is the templeof the Holy Spirit

Who is in you,

who you have from God,

and you are not your own?

For you were

bought with a price;

therefore, glorify God

in your body and in your spirit,

which are God's.

~ 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ~

“How lovely is

Your tabernacle,

O Lord of hosts!”

~ Psalm 84:1 ~

“For now I have

chosen and sanctified this house,

that My Name may be there forever;

and My eyes and My heart

will be there perpetually.”

~ 2 Chronicles 7:16 ~

Before the Messiah came to this earth in human flesh, the Jewish temple was the place where the glory of God dwelt. Keeping the temple beautiful and consecrated to Him was a serious and holy task for the priests. Once a year, one high priest was chosen to enter the Holy of Holies, the most holy and sacred area of the temple that housed the very presence of God. The priest would have to go through meticulous rituals to cleanse himself and repent of the minutest sins in his life. He would then enter the holy chamber with a rope around his ankle in case he was struck dead and the others needed to pull him out. The temple of God was serious business because it housed the very presence of the holy God.

And we are that temple. We house the very presence of the Almighty. Should we be haphazard and spontaneous with a task that once was the most sacred and holy of all? The seriousness of how the temple was treated in the Old Testament reveals the seriousness of our position as Christ's temple now. Meaning that we have been called to be holy as He is holy. We are to be on constant guard against any vile deed, word, or thought that would defile His temple (no matter if that means separating ourselves from certain company, abstaining from certain modes of entertainment, etc.).

“And what agreement

has the temple of God with idols?

For you are the

temple of the living God.

As God has said:

'I will dwell in them

and walk among them.

I will be their God,

and they shall be My people.'

Therefore

'come out from among them

and be separate, says the Lord.

Do not touch what is

unclean, and I will

receive you.' “

~ 2 Corinthians 6:16-17 ~

You can see that Scripture makes it very clear that we are called to be set-apart unto the Lord. Sadly, the church takes this message as extreme or legalistic, claiming that it's okay to dabble with the things of the world and commit spiritual adultery in order to “be in touch with the culture” in order to win others to the Lord. We convince ourselves that to understand the angst of sinners we must participate in their wickedness with them. As a younger generation, we shy away from terms such as “holiness” and “righteousness” because they sound “holier-than-thou” and we're afraid to be labeled as legalistic. Therefore, we simply skip over the challenge us to life a holy life worthy of the gospel all to avoid becoming Amish or entering a convent. The term legalism has nothing to do with our standards or how we conduct ourselves. Legalism is merely (and not so merely) trying to gain the Lord's approval and grace through our own futile efforts, rather than accepting the gift that has already been given to us by His blood. Christianity achieved through legalism (and that's not really Christianity) is dead.

But so is ours. We have swung to the opposite end of the pendulum in order to not look legalistic, delighting in as much of the world as possible in order to prove that Christianity isn't just for stuffy librarians and backwoodsy schoolmarms. As Christians, we are called to lay aside every sin and to remove all impurity from our lives. We are called to live holy lives, set-apart unto the Lord without succumbing to the temptations of the world.

“But fornication

and all uncleanness

or covetousness,

let it not even

be named among you,

as is fitting for saints;

neither filthiness,

nor foolish talking,

nor coarse jesting,

which are not fitting,

but rather

giving of thanks.

For this you know,

that no fornicator,

unclean person,

nor covetous man,

who is an idolater,

has any inheritance

in the kingdom of Christ and God.”

~ Ephesians 5:3-5 ~

Living a holy and upright life does not come by making up a rigid set of rules; it does not come from isolating ourselves from society. It only comes by yielding ourselves completely over to the Holy Spirit's work in our lives, allowing the Lord to have full reign over our bodies, souls, minds, emotions, and hearts, by laying down our selfish and worldly desire upon the altar. When we allow the Lord to strip away any carnal, sinful, and selfish desire from our lives, that's when His great radiance can shine unhindered through our beings.