Hospitality with right attitude

Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. – 1 Peter 4.9-10

The Christian life is about so much more than what we tend to think about as ‘spiritual stuff.’ Actually, a lot more is ‘spiritual stuff’ than we normally consider to be spiritual stuff. 

Hospitality is one of those things. And according to this verse it is not just hospitality, it is hospitality with the right attitude. 

Hospitality means that Christians are to be open and warm and welcoming. The Christians ‘hearth and home’, and hearts as well, should be places where others love to be. 

God wants His people to be hospitable. The first example I can think of is Abraham when visited by three angels who he thought were men. I think the writer of Hebrews had that in mind when he wrote, ‘be sure to be hospitable to strangers, because some who didn’t know it entertained strangers.’ 

I try to figure out why hospitality os such a big deal. I think the second part of the verse gives us a hint. Peter is telling us that our hospitality is a reflection of how much we a aware of the gift of grace that God has given us. When I consider all that Christ has done for  me how can I hold  back any of my life from others. Whatever I have should be used to minister to others because Christ didn’t hold back from me. 

That’s fine. And I am grateful that we have what most people consider to be an open home. I am glad we are considered hospitable. I am glad for many years that or home has been a blessing to others. 

But there is one thing I need to keep a check on. All this hospitality must be done without grumbling. If I do these things with the wrong heart I might as well not do them at all. I need to make sure that my spirit matches up with my actions. Jesus didn’t grumble about what He did for me – how can I grumble about doing for others?