Some Practical Wisdom on Hospitality

In a recent S.S. panel discussion on Biblical hospitality, the following four questions were asked of three of our Eden Baptist Church women.

Enjoy some of the juicy tidbits of flavor their practical advice and Biblical wisdom served up…

1) We’ve talked about both the attitudes/heart condition AND practical suggestions for a worker at home. Would you give an aspect of each related to hospitality, from your experience, that you think important, that would be of encouragement or challenge for us to consider….

Principle about hospitality: It encourages an open conversation and a transparent relationship. God created us to be relational. God did not save us to keep your life and your hearts ‘to yourself’. He saved you to communicate what He is doing.

Attitude: My selfish heart would love to have my house, my husband, my weeknights and weekends, and my Sunday afternoon naptimes all to myself….so I have to work to be hospitable.
However, Christ gave up everything for us Christians to have a non-selfish life.
My Practical suggestion is that I rehearse these thoughts when I am preparing th have people over.

Attitude: I have to leave self behind…totally behind. It’s not about my home, my menu, my centerpiece, etc. Forget about yourself and think, ask, talk about THEM.
Practical Suggestion: Get it on the calendar. It won’t happen until you do. Start there.

2) Give one pitfall or ‘lie’ that often keeps a woman from moving forward in the area of hospitality as well as how you’d answer it with truth.

Lie: Hospitality is something I could do when I have everything perfect.
Truth: Hospitality is a biblical command. It is not about you & how your house or your meal will make you look. It’s about loving and serving others as Christ does. Your house & life will never be perfect, but God will give you the grace to be hospitable in spite of imperfections.

Lie: I don’t know how to cook (or I’m not a very good cook) so I can’t be hospitable.
Truth: There are ways to get around this; hospitality is not about accomplished cooks or expert hostessing.

3) At the end of the night, how do you gauge if a hospitality venue that you’ve hosted is a ‘success’ or not?

Note: One woman reminded us that every effort of hospitality is a success in that we have obeyed God and loved others—no matter how it may go.

Suggested “Benchmarks’ of a fruitful gathering:
• If our guests have felt comfortable
• If our guests don’t want to leave
• If the table boasts empty dishes (indicating full stomachs!)
• If we have gotten to know our guests better
• We have talked about something significant to the guest
• We have talked about the Lord and what He is doing in our lives
• We have talked about the sermon (Sun afternoon)
• See new or improved relationships between our guests

4) Give your top 5 “must have” entertaining items for hosting others in your home.
(A sampling of the answers)
Crock pot w/a good BBQ pork recipe
Game plan for house prep & cooking (includes whole family)
Easy, sure-to-be-good recipes (cookbook)
Brownie mix or other dessert on hand
Empty Dishwasher
Flexible attitude and cheerful, welcoming smile
It was noted that whipped cream goes great on practically everything!

And our end goal in all of this?
1 Timothy 1:5 “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a sincere heart, and a good conscience, and a sincere faith.”

Add a thought, idea or suggestion of your own (below) regarding hospitality...