Read:  Romans 12: 6-21  

“Distributing to the necessity of the saints; given to hospitality.”  Romans 12:13 

Have you ever been welcomed into a home, and the moment you stepped in the door, you felt surrounded by the presence of God? I have, and it has stirred a desire to have a home just like that. I want such a home that when visitors leave, they have a deep sense of having been ministered to. 

The story is told of an old convict who had spent nineteen years in forced labor. After enjoying the warm hospitality of an elderly priest, he asked, “What is this, an inn?” The old man replied, “No, this is the house of Christ.” So may our homes be, “the house of Christ.” 

The meaning of hospitality comes somewhere between that of hospice, which means “shelter,” and hospital, which means “a place of healing.” In Christian hospitality we offer shelter and healing for believers as well as strangers who may be angels (Heb. 13:2). 

Hospitality is a spiritual ministry. It is not an option for the Christian, but rather an injunction upon us.  It means putting people before things and saying, “What is mine is yours—the Lord, the food, the beds, the fellowship.” It means making our house (or hut) a place of physical and spiritual healing and refreshment. 

Hospitality is not necessarily entertainment, but the meeting of physical and spiritual needs, without pride. Christ Himself sanctifies these simple gifts of food and drink, a warm shower or bath, a comfortable bed, and good spiritual conversation, by making them holy and useful. The kitchen table becomes an altar where hungry hearts are nourished by the Bread of Life. 

Let these thoughts warm you and move you to be a person “given to hospitality.” Establish your house as “the house of Christ.” 

~James Baer