Scripture to Memorize
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Proverbs 31:30
Passage to Read
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Romans 12:12–14
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for sending me the Holy Spirit to empower me to live the way you’ve called me to live. I know that, by myself, I could never become the woman you want me to be. Apart from you, I can do nothing. But with your power at work in my life, I can be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. Change my heart, O God, that I might earnestly desire to share with your people in need. Teach me how and when to practice hospitality. Grant me strength to bless those who persecute me and to resist the temptation to curse them or speak unkind words about them. I know there’s a connection between showing hospitality and choosing to not curse those who have hurt me. Hospitality is not the time to sit around talking about all the people who have done me wrong and hurt my feelings or what I don’t like about the church. Hospitality is a time to reach out to others with love and caring. It’s time to be a blessing and a vessel of healing within the body of Christ. Lord, make my home a hospital! Teach me to practice hospital-ity for your kingdom’s sake. Amen.
Personal
Throughout the Bible, hospitality is both demonstrated and commended. Today’s passage includes the injunction to “practice hospitality” right alongside prayer and blessing those who persecute us. Paul commends Gaius “whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy” (Rom. 16:23) and instructs Timothy that “no widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds” (1 Tim. 5:9–10).
Paul wasn’t the only New Testament writer to emphasize the importance of hospitality. Peter instructs us to “offer hospitality to one another without grumbling” (1 Peter 4:9); and John says, “We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth” (3 John 8). Hospitality is not a low-priority option for Martha Stewart wannabes. Obviously it’s something on which God places a high value and every Christian should practice in her own way.
Today I want to introduce you to a contemporary Proverbs 31 woman who happens to be the loveliest hostess on the planet. I met Deb Lovett while speaking at a conference in Ohio. Shortly thereafter, she became the director of women’s ministry at her church and invited me to do a women’s conference in her hometown. Having become acquainted by phone, she invited me to stay in her home rather than a hotel. Let me tell you, not even the seven-star hotel in Dubai could hold a candle to the royal treatment Deb extended to me. Then, several years later, Deb hosted my entire family for Thanksgiving, and truly it was like stepping into the pages of Town and Country magazine! I have never felt like such a princess. For years afterward, my youngest daughter would ask if we could move to Ohio to be near Mrs. Lovett. No kidding!
So I asked Deb to share what God has shown her about how to create a home environment that ministers to the spirit, soul, and body of her guests. Here are her thoughts.
“Everything good that we have belongs to God and is to be used for his glory. He is the owner of all good things, and we are the property managers. So many times we are looking for some ‘ministry’ out there—on the stage, in front of lots of people, when our ministry is right under our noses. You have heard that church is a hospital for sinners. Well, hospitality turns your home and property into ministry for people in the name of Jesus when you open your heart and hands to him.
“Hospitality doesn’t have to mean the perfect dinner, but a beautiful presentation combined with the presence of the Lord through an attitude of love. Now after many years of planning parties, Bible studies, women’s conferences, and memorable family times, I can happily rejoice in the fact that my home is a haven of rest to all, no matter what is going on. The Lord has blessed my obedience in this area to serve and has expanded my horizons. We are now building a larger lodge on-site to accommodate more people for hospitality!
“I would now like to share with you some ‘props’ that I consider essentials to hospitality:
“Gifts: Always have on hand a boutique of gifts available for an assortment of ages and sexes to give at a moment’s notice, things like unusual soaps, stationery, baby bibs, books, CDs, grooming kits. Have a standard wedding gift handy for those times you just can’t find time to shop. I keep these in unused dresser drawers and always provide my guest with a little something to show him or her my appreciation—usually before dinner.
“Paper: Always have white wrapping paper on hand. White paper can wrap any occasion and can be decorated with stamps, different colored ribbons and bows. My daughter loves to use felt-tip markers to write cool sayings on them to celebrate the holiday. Gift bags are great as well. While we are on the subject of paper, I suggest spending the extra couple of bucks it takes to put some squeezably soft toilet tissue out for guests, and have on hand the rectangular hand napkins rather than a cloth towel that can spread germs.
“Candles: Create an atmosphere that says, ‘Aha, time to relax,’ by using candles. Use them all over, but be wise and keep tabs on them throughout your event. I have a drawer that holds only candles: all types, sizes, scents, and colors. Oh, and don’t forget a lighter or matches!
“Flowers: Know where your local flower warehouse is. This is where I go to buy my flowers wholesale. Literally I can have flowers strewn throughout my home for twenty dollars or less. Flowers wake up the soul with their aroma and colors. Give an arrangement to your guests on their way out if you really want to bless them.
“Food: If you have time to fix a dinner, that’s great. Most of the time, however, I have my meals catered for less than I would spend if I cooked, when I count up the hours I spend shopping, preparing, and cleaning up. Check out the places that have a monthly menu and order a few dinners for the freezer that can be pulled out at a moment’s notice.
“Prayer: Last but not least. You can go to all the trouble you want, but without the Holy Spirit’s presence and anointing, it is just another party. I stand at my front door and pray, ‘Holy Spirit, I invite you into my home and heart for this time with friends. I ask you to guide all of our conversations so that they bring glory to the Father and to show me how I can bless each one who enters here in a loving way that represents Jesus. Bring your peace that surpasses all understanding now in the name of Jesus to this place. Amen.’
“Hospitality is the best way I know of turning our homes into hospitals for the tired, harassed, and weary travelers on this road we call earth; but even more than that, it also honors God by ‘loving your neighbor’ on the road to heaven!”
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who turns her home into a hospital for the weary by showing hospitality is to be praised. Having been to Deb’s hospital more than once, I can tell you hospitality truly is a powerful and important ministry. Especially in today’s society, with people running here and there, grabbing fast food and never taking time to truly connect, the opportunity to relax around a table is a welcome relief.
We have dear friends who put on a pot of soup every Sunday morning and ask the Lord during the service, “Whom should we invite home with us today?” Then they gather around the soup, with some salad, and talk about what they learned from the pastor’s sermon, what God is teaching them, how he is working in their lives, and other topics that actually matter.
Why not consider how you can use your home as a way of reaching out? It can be elaborate, as Deb’s gatherings sometimes are, or as simple as soup and salad. The important thing is to have a heart that wants to bless others and ears to hear whom God is directing you toward.
Affirmation: I practice hospitality.
Practical
Pray about how you can use your home to extend hospitality.