Growing in the Dying Art of Hospitality

I’m going to make a confession to you all – I stink at hospitality. It is not a strength of mine, and it’s not something that comes naturally to me. But it is very important, and I believe that as a Christian woman, I am called to be hospitable to my “neighbors.” Whether those neighbors live next door or across the globe.

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No, I’m embarrassed to admit, I’m not naturally gifted in this area. I feel most comfortable with schedules and routines, predictability and security. And if I can be completely honest, the biggest reason I don’t excel at hospitality is … well … selfishness. It takes time, effort, and thought to be hospitable, and these are all things that I tend to hoard for my own plans and purposes.

But just because it doesn’t come naturally to me does not give me the right or the excuse to ignore it. Hospitality is something that God asks of us, and so it is something that I should be working on in my life. Hospitality is an extension of God’s love, it is meeting the needs of others, and it is creating fellowship. And that’s why I am choosing this area to focus on this month in my year of mini-goals.

That’s right, hospitality is my area of focus this month, and I hope that the following three goals will help me strengthen this part of my Christian walk. I am eager to improve, and I hope that you will enjoy following (and joining) my journey throughout the month.

Why is Hospitality Important?

Let me first take a moment to talk about why I believe hospitality is so important. It is kind of a dying art these days. Everyone has become so busy and preoccupied with their own interests, we don’t reach out to our neighbors as we used to. I think that’s a big reason why even the word “hospitality” has all but disappeared from our vocabularies. People my age and younger don’t even really know what that means anymore, and it sounds so antiquated to our ears.

But we desperately need to bring it back into style.

Why is hospitality so important?

It shows the love of Jesus to others.
It builds connections and deepens relationships
It’s a way to share our blessings with others
And finally … the Bible tells us so!

What the Bible Says About Hospitality

Here are a few verses that mention hospitality:

Romans 12:13
When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
1 Peter 4:9
Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.
Hebrews 13:2
Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!
1 Timothy 5:10
She must be well respected by everyone because of the good she has done. Has she brought up her children well? Has she been kind to strangers and served other believers humbly?[a] Has she helped those who are in trouble? Has she always been ready to do good?

How I’m Going to Become More Hospitable This Month

Now that we have a few reasons why hospitality is so important, how am I going to work on becoming more hospitable this month? I think these three goals are a great place to start:

Goal #1: Have people over at least once this month

We are terrible about good intentions. Since we moved four years ago, we’ve made dozens of plans to invite people over. We’ve actually followed through maybe a handful of times. (Minus family, that is.)

But you can’t get better at something unless you practice. So this month, with all of you as my witnesses, I am going to do what I always say I’m going to do and invite people into our home. I’m not going to let my usual excuses of “I have too much to do,” or “My house isn’t clean enough” keep me from opening our home — and our lives — this month.

Goal #2: Complete one freezer meal session to stock up for unexpected situations

One thing that keeps me from being more hospitable, and makes me freak out at the thought of unexpected company, is food. What will I feed them? Do we have enough food? Now I have to cook a nicer meal … These are all thoughts that make me panic at the thought of spontaneous guests.

I can’t solve every hindrance to hospitality in one month, but I can do something about this one! If having food readily available is something that is keeping me from opening my home, then I need to make sure that I always have a meal – or at least the fixings for a meal – on hand.

Therefore, one of my mini-goals this month is to complete at least one big freezer meal session to stock up for unexpected guests.

Goal #3: Read one hospitality book

If you’re a regular Merry Momma reader, I think you saw this one coming. What’s my favorite way to learn more about a subject that I’m weak in? Read a book, of course! I know I need a lot of help in this area, so I am going to pick out a book from a hospitality “expert” and soak up all the encouragement and help I can get!

(By the way, I don’t necessarily have one in mind yet, so if you have any recommendations, I am all ears!)

I think we can all agree that hospitality is an important, yet dying, art. And I’m not too proud (though I am a little embarrassed) to admit that I am lousy at it! But I also believe it is a skill that can be nurtured and improved. That’s why I have chosen these three goals in the hopes that they will help me become the hospitable woman that God has asked me to be.

What about you? Does hospitality come easily to you, or do you struggle like I do? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!