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Did you feel the slight tremble of the earth as God chuckled? The object of His mirth? It's the thought of the combination of me and the subject of hospitality. As a teacher of spiritual gifts, I recognize that hospitality is not one of mine! As I prepare for guests, I fret and fritter, while my family scatters to opposite ends of the house. I often miss the opportunity to relax and enjoy fellowship. Instead, I choose to worry about the food or the appearance of the house. Today God, in His mysterious way, found a Scripture for me in 1 Peter 4:9. It reads: "Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling." (NIV) Uh oh.
Many of my friends and many in my family do have this gift. The gifts God bestows on us often come naturally and we may not think of them as gifts at all. I am astonished as my friends readily welcome unexpected guests, often with food at hand and an uncanny way of making others feel at home. God, in His goodness, (thank goodness) does have a plan.
He has each of us use our individual gifts and together we make up the body of Christ. As we see gifts in each other, we are able to work together to serve others. And if God should ask me to practice hospitality? I can do it and I might even try it without grumbling.
God, in His mercy, comforts me with the next verse in 1 Peter: "Each one should use WHATEVER gift he has received to serve others faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." (NIV)(Emphasis mine)
Thank you Lord. May we use the gifts of the Spirit to bring glory to Your name.
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