A Magnolia's Heart Beats

Chelsey is the hostess of In "Other" Words Tuesday today. Please visit her at Joyfully Living for His Glory to see what she and the other ladies have to say on today's quote.

“Hospitality is becoming an almost forgotten Christian virtue in our style of life today… In the New Testament, however, hospitality was a distinctive mark of Christians and Christian communities.” ~Alexander Strauchfrom The Hospitality Commands~

One definition for hospitality, or philoxenia in greek, is love for strangers.

"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." ~ Hebrews 13:2

I admit that I sometimes find it easier to have a love for strangers and show hospitality to them by giving through charity or food, mainly because I'm not as outgoing as you might think; in fact, I am quite the introvert. I shudder at the thought of opening my home and hosting parties or even Bible studies. Not because of the people, but because of a certain level of anxiety on my part. I know I shouldn't be anxious, but there it is. I am. (And since I am being truthful, I will say that I have had the most awful time with words today (I'm writing this Monday)! I think it's because of the At the Well post on the Words We Speak I wrote yesterday! The Enemy is after me. Him or my flesh. It's hard to know which.)

Getting back to hospitality, when I think of that word in New Testament terms, I think of believers offering a sacrifice of hospitality. Another greek word for hospitality is philoxenos - which means given to hospitality, lover of hospitality, use hospitality.

Based on the definitions given above, I've learned, or re-learned, that hospitality seems to come from a heart of love, it is a verb, and that we are commanded to be hospitable. After all, "philos", in greek, means, in part, friend, to be friendly to one, wish him well, a friend, an associate, he who associates familiarly with one, a companion..."

Friendliness was one of the trademarks of Christ. After all, before He was even known as Christ or performed His first miracle, He was invited to a wedding. (See John 2) Usually, unless you are family or a friend, you don't get invited to these things. Jesus was well-liked, thus invited. And He gave us many examples of hospitality.

After He was gone from earth and the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, the Christian church came together in a whirlwind of hospitality toward each other.

I love this story of the fellowship of believers told in Acts.

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." ~ Acts 2:42-47 (Emphasis, mine)

I especially love the result of the hospitality - daily the Lord added new Christians! Amen!

In what ways is hospitality becoming an almost forgotten virtue in our style of life today? I think we live in a more fast-paced society and tend to look out for ourselves and the needs of our families first. We say there are only 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, 52 weeks in a year...how much can we really be expected to do? Times were admittedly slower back in the day.

Women didn't have to work outside the home, parents didn't spend weeknights and weekends practicing or traveling with team sports or other activities for children, and children were taught at home, not carted back and forth to school for the majority of the day. Not that all these things are bad - I'm just saying times seemed slower back then and life was led at a more leisurely pace. It just seems to me that there was more "time" to practice hospitality.

There were no major chain hotels for visitors to stay in as they traveled proclaiming the gospel of Christ. They relied on people to open their homes (and their hearts) up to them, and people had time to do that. They had very little to give in return. Paul worked for a living some of the places he went, relying not on others for his living, but paying his own way.

How can we get back the lost art of hospitality?

"The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." ~ 1 Peter 4:7-10

I think an abundance of love for others is needed. We need to keep our focus on Christ and live to serve Him by serving others. We need to not see hospitality as a burden and not grumble about. If God has gifted us with a special gift (speaking, hostessing (is that a word? you know what I mean), witnessing, etc.,) we are to use that gift to serve others faithfully. It's an extension of God's grace and love for us when we do.

Normally we don't give to receive, but Christ tells us when we do offer this form of hospitality we will receive an inheritance, a kingdom prepared for us since the creation of the world!

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' " ~ Matthew 25:34-40

In offering hospitality, we serve the Lord our God! Hospitality is borne out of the love our Savior gave us. In showing hospitality to others, whether strangers or friends, we serve God.

I mentioned above that I was anxious about hospitality. I think I know why! I'm Martha! I get distracted.

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." ~ Luke 10:38-42

I would love to say that I am Mary. Indeed, I have said it before, because I'd rather be at God's feet, but through this quote and in reading Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver, I have found that I get distracted.

Got the handy lexicon on crosswalk running again and found that that could mean to be anxious, to be troubled with cares, to seek to promote one's interests, or disturb, trouble, to be troubled in mind, disquieted.

To seek to promote one's interests....could I be selfish? I pray not. Maybe for me that means wanting the house to be perfect, wanting the dog to behave (we don't have kids), and wanting the food to be great. Ouch! Nothing like a good dose of Scripture and the definition of greek words used in Scripture to make you feel convicted!

I will probably know more when I finish the book I mentioned above, and I look so forward to reading other's posts. Join Chelsey and visit the others who have participated in this meme, I beg! I need to learn more, not only from God, but from your examples!

Father, may I offer hospitality, which I am learning is an extension of love, to all - strangers and those who belong to the body of believers, in a way that is holy and pleasing to You. Help me to humble myself and put the needs of others before the desires and even the anxieties of my flesh. Make me into the extrovert you want me to be for You, Lord, so that in serving the least of the brothers, I will have served You. I truly want to honor You, Lord, and I know that in Scripture You tell us several times to "fear not" and to present our requests to You. Make me less anxious about opening up my home and help me continue to reach out to others through love. Love for them out of love for You. Change me, Lord, into "Mary".