Creative Hospitality.... It's Not Just About Dinner

If you’re anything like me, sometimes the idea of inviting someone over for a meal is a wee bit stressful. I want my home to be a pleasant refuge when others enter. I want them to feel *at home*.
 

Hospitality was originally God’s idea, and Christians are called to be hospitable. “Practice hospitality” (Romans 12:13b) is about as straight-forward as it gets. Peter echoes this command when he writes: “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling” (1 Peter 4:9). Both elders and deacons are required to be hospitable, and it appears like hospitality is expected of all Christians – stay-at-home moms, working women, empty-nesters, you name it – regardless of whether or not they have the spiritual gift of hospitality.

When most of us think of fulfilling God’s command to show hospitality, we imagine inviting someone over to a nice prepared dinner. But sometimes it seems like there just aren’t enough usable time in the day to do that. The Bible never limits hospitality to an evening meal. There are many other creative ways to show hospitality that don’t necessarily involve a four-course dinner served on china!

Afternoon or morning tea is a great way to get to know another woman. Having a girlfriend over during the day can allow for much more intimate conversation than you might have if her entire family and your entire family were all around the table together. I’m a huge tea drinker myself, so I make it a point to keep several nice varieties of tea in the cupboard so that I can invite another woman over for a cup at the last minute. The other benefit of having tea is that you don’t need to cook a whole meal. Muffins or quick bread, or even something as simple as a selection of fresh fruit, is more than adequate.  

Sometimes taking a meal to someone else is a great way to help out in a very practical way. One benefit of this type of hospitality is that you can prepare the meal ahead of time and keep it in your fridge or freezer until it is needed. They’ll enjoy the kindness you showed them.

Sometimes it’s fun to have not just one person or one family over. Sometimes it’s fun to have a whole group of friends over! When the Lord prompted us to have *Cottage Prayer Meetings* in our home once a week, I was hesitant at first. I felt a little intimidated, to say the least.

The Bible never says that we can’t be creative when we show hospitality. We invited several couples over for the prayer meetings. I made a couple different desserts and served hot tea and coffee. We had a wonderful time of prayer, worship, and fellowship

Hospitality is so much more than having people over for a meal. It’s an attitude of the heart. A hospitable heart is one that gives generally of its time and energy. A hospital heart serves so that others can be blessed. There are many blessings that come from inviting others over for dinner. But hospitality doesn’t have to be limited to an evening meal. By being creative, you can find ways to be hospitable that fit into your lifestyle and your schedule. The Bible doesn’t give us many details on how to do it. The Bible just tells us to show hospitality. Trust God to give you creative ways to do just that.