“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2 (NIV)
I'm so encouraged by this verse! It clearly teaches us to show hospitality to strangers. But it also talks about the possibility of entertaining angels. Let me tell you, it was Thursday evening, a young woman asked if I had some money to spare for gas and while I don’t usually carry cash, I gave her my last. While the Bible tells us to give with a cheerful heart, it's also true that the good you have done for somebody may come back to you; BUT, I wasn't expecting the good to come back to me today. Today, on my way home from Walmart, I ran out of gas. Wanting to get home as fast as possible, I told myself I’d get gas closer to home, but within a few minutes, my car completely stopped. After minutes of waiting, I was then blessed by a stranger who appeared as an angel to help me out of this situation --- Not only did he push my car out of the road, but he brought me enough gas to drive to the nearest gas station. I felt so blessed, thankful, and lucky that this man was helping me out of the dilemma that I was in and he wouldn’t hear of me paying him anything for the gas. It was a moment of such astonishing grace – such unexpected hospitality.
Are you showing hospitality? Sometimes when we think of hospitality, we think of doing hospitality with the people we know, but in the Bible, God commands us to extend hospitality to our neighbors, friends and even strangers. Hospitality is not an option. This is what the Bible says about hospitality..... "Be hospitable to one another without complaint" (1 Pet. 4:9), "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it" (Heb. 13:2), "Contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality (Rom. 12:13).
I'm so encouraged by this verse! It clearly teaches us to show hospitality to strangers. But it also talks about the possibility of entertaining angels. Let me tell you, it was Thursday evening, a young woman asked if I had some money to spare for gas and while I don’t usually carry cash, I gave her my last. While the Bible tells us to give with a cheerful heart, it's also true that the good you have done for somebody may come back to you; BUT, I wasn't expecting the good to come back to me today. Today, on my way home from Walmart, I ran out of gas. Wanting to get home as fast as possible, I told myself I’d get gas closer to home, but within a few minutes, my car completely stopped. After minutes of waiting, I was then blessed by a stranger who appeared as an angel to help me out of this situation --- Not only did he push my car out of the road, but he brought me enough gas to drive to the nearest gas station. I felt so blessed, thankful, and lucky that this man was helping me out of the dilemma that I was in and he wouldn’t hear of me paying him anything for the gas. It was a moment of such astonishing grace – such unexpected hospitality.
Are you showing hospitality? Sometimes when we think of hospitality, we think of doing hospitality with the people we know, but in the Bible, God commands us to extend hospitality to our neighbors, friends and even strangers. Hospitality is not an option. This is what the Bible says about hospitality..... "Be hospitable to one another without complaint" (1 Pet. 4:9), "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it" (Heb. 13:2), "Contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality (Rom. 12:13).
As Christians, we must learn to trust God enough to do what He commands. We must be hospitable as possible while we are still here on earth! It is one of the ways we can show God’s love to others! It also helps us grow in service, humility, and putting other first. It helps us to receive God’s blessings as we share what we already have with others.In conclusion, hospitality is risky ... but the stakes are high if we fail as well.
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also will answer Him,* saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You? ’Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:41-46)
A Person Who Show Hospitality Is . . .
H—Humble
O—Obedient
S—Sincere
P—Prayerful
P—Prayerful
I—Interested in Integrity
T—Trustworthy
T—Trustworthy
A—Adopted into God's Family
L—Led by the Spirit
I—Instrumental in Producing Righteousness
T—Thankful
Y—Yielded
T—Thankful
Y—Yielded
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