Devotional Story on Hospitality
Hospitality is the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. It is a righteous, godly behavior and as Christians we are expected to practice it in our daily lives.
Genesis 18:2-8 tells the story of three men who visited Abraham. Abraham gave them water to wash their feet and he prepared good food for them to eat. He made them feel at home. In reality, these visitors were sent by God with great news that Sarah would be able to bear a son after many years of infertility.
I asked a few of the artisans about the times when they’ve welcomed visitors and the impact it made in their lives. Some of them shared that they fed them and gave them a room to sleep. Those strangers ended up becoming friends for life, because they were helped in their time of need. Some artisans shared that neighbors would send visitors to their homes because they were known for their hospitality.
There is a quote that I love, "You may forget most of the people you meet, but you will never forget how someone treated you". How do we really treat strangers we meet every day? Do they remember us negatively or positively? Would they love to meet us again?
The artisans and I also shared some moments when showing hospitality ended up in disappointment. Does that mean that we should stop being hospitable just because some do not value our hospitality to them? 1 Peter 4:9 challenges us to offer hospitality to one another without protesting and Hebrews 13:2, tells us to show hospitality to strangers who may really be angels, like in the case of Abraham.
Hospitality is a godly virtue, and we should do it as an act of obedience and as an act of love for God. In a community, hospitality strengthens bonds and fights isolation and loneliness. It allows us to be a good example for others. Even in those moments when we have been disappointed or hurt, we can find the will to be hospitable through the help of the Holy Spirit.
True hospitality should be giving the best of ourselves to people who show up at different seasons of our lives.