Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Hospitality (02/07/05)
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TITLE: Given to Hospitality or Griping? | Previous Challenge Entry
By Donna J. Shepherd
02/14/05 -
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How many times have you heard this statement? Have you made it yourself?
In Romans 12:13, Paul exhorted the believers to be “given to hospitality.” Unfortunately most Christians are ‘given to griping.’ “Well, I’m not having the Pastor over. He lives in a nicer house than I do” or “The missionaries can’t stay with me. I don’t own nice linens.”
There might be a need for a change of attitude, don’t you think? If you look again at the apostle Paul’s twenty commands regarding brotherhood in Romans 12, we see the foundation for them in verse 10. “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.”
If we consider it an honor to show hospitality, our attitude will change.
In I Peter 4:9, Peter said we should be hospitable ‘without grudging.” Don’t have the prayer meeting at your home just because you feel you have to, but do it out of love. Love for whom? Love for God, and love for man.
Who better to teach us about love than Jesus? He said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” (John 13:34)
Perhaps you say, “But you haven’t seen my house.” There is no excuse good enough to shirk your duty to be a loving and hospitable Christian. On a practical note, let’s clean our houses. Let’s prepare to show the love of Christ.
On a spiritual level, let’s ‘clean our hearts’ – ridding them of a grudging attitude, so the next time the Pastor asks, “Who will let the evangelist stay with you this Saturday night?” your arm will come out of its socket, and you’ll cry, “Me, me! Let me have that honor!”
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