Commandment or Suggestion? Part I

Hospitality. What comes to mind when you hear this word? Planning? Money? Stress? Cleaning? Serving? Giving? Work?

What does scripture have to say about it? What do you have to say about it?

I Peter 4:9 "Show hospitality to one another with out grumbling"


As a young married woman I looked forward to practicing hospitality. I was also keenly aware of our lack of finances, how small our home was (some 800 square feet) and how I perceived it needed to be decorated and cleaned before I could ever even think about having anyone over. My husband had other ideas. He didn't bat an eye when our small group from church needed a place to meet. He automatically volunteered our place. At the time I was not very happy with him. Didn't he know what kind of stress he was putting on me? UGH! Hospitality is not my gift. Our small group met every Thursday evening. I had a week to prepare! We would not only be responsible for providing the meeting place but for providing snacks as well. How would I ever be able to afford to feed that many people? If memory serves me correctly we had approximately 6 couples attending on a regular basis. Our grocery budget was $35 a week. My husband suggested making Jiffy muffin mixes. They came in different flavors like Raspberry and Blueberry. You could get 5 boxes for about a dollar. You just add water and an egg, and bake in muffin pans. We planned on preparing and serving a couple of pitchers of Kool-Aid brand lemonade.

Oh, did I mention we owned 4 wooden chairs? That's it. We had no furniture! We solved that problem by asking people to bring their own outdoor chairs.

When Thursday night arrived I had been working and working. I was worn out!

Guess what? It all worked out! Everyone loved the muffins and wanted the recipe. I had to laugh at that one!
You would think that after hosting our small group that I would have learned to relax and enjoy practicing hospitality huh? Well, Let's just say I am a slow learner sometimes!!!!

Looking back now after 13 some-odd years I realize my sin of "pride" I was more concerned with what people would think of where we lived and what kind of food we served them. I wasn't seeking to bless others, only myself. I was too worried about "me"

By God's Grace I have grown a lot in this area. Look for part two to this post along with some helpful hints for practicing hospitality on a budget and maybe even a recipe or two to get you started.

Remember sometimes you just have to "Do it"