By Caitlin
I heard a a sermon back in October about hospitality. I had always thought previously that sermons on hospitality were aimed primarily at people like my parents, who have a house and can make space to let people stay the night and have a meal or two. It wasn’t until I heard this particular sermon that I realized how much broader the definition of hospitality is, and that in order to truly live it out, a change had to happen in my heart.
In different phases of my life thus far, God has asked me to sacrifice something to Him in order that He may teach me to depend completely on Him as provider. I never had a problem giving away my time until high school, when I became involved in ministry, and I was faced with the choice of which activities I would devote my time to. I reluctantly chose to do things that would glorify God more, and His blessings overwhelmed me through it. My first year of college, the issue was money. I tried to do things my own way, to become self-sufficient so I wouldn’t have to keep asking my parents for more money, but in the end, God asked me to give it up to Him. He taught me humility and thankfulness through it, and still provided for all of my financial needs. Right now, the focus is rest. I only have so much energy, and God is teaching me that He will provide the energy I need through resting.
In order to be hospitable, I must give any or all of these things to God in order to live out His mission. It 
can be as simple as bringing someone coffee when they're studying for a big test. And in order to be on His mission, I must keep in mind that everyone I come in contact with has the potential to be a glorious creature in the Kingdom. As C.S. Lewis puts it in The Weight of Glory, “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal… But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit– immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.” I am convinced that with this perspective, I can learn to be more hospitable with my time, money, and energy. In doing so, I may participate in the Kingdom which is now and is yet to come.
Sweet post Caitlin. I think it is a really helpful outlook on life to understand our successes strictly through God’s grace and guidance. Your ability to relinquish control is something I wish I could do more of. I think setting your heart right into God’s hands is the only step to take when wanting to become something and I believe God does equip his followers with the ability to be courageous, wise and hospitable. Thanks for sharing.
Love the Lewis quote.
Another powerful example of this idea of hospitality and love of people was given today by Mark (Cup of Cold Water guy) when he was explaining his theological understanding that was formative in the allowing him to love those who he serves. Understanding that people are people first, created in the image of God allows us to find the good, the truth, the honor, etc. in people.
I felt that this theological understanding of loving people was so much more powerful when heard alongside the stories he has about his actual experiences. He seemed to be a man who has entered into the story of pain and suffering of those he is serving.
Caitlin, I love what you’ve said here. I think hospitality is so important and something we neglect a lot in our North American culture where everyone is so focused on individualism. It’s also great to think about how we can be hospitable no matter what stage of life we are in. There are so many ways we can show God’s love to people, and its not just limited to sharing our house with people.
Caitlin,
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that God will provide the energy you need through rest. I know in my heart that I should slow down sometimes but I am going so fast that it is hard to gain a good grip on just how to go about doing that. I find that in these times, all it takes is a little prayer and a few minutes to just be with God and think about his love. I totally agree with you about this focus being of great significance for our spiritual health. great post! thank you
Great post! i think this is so important and so hard to actually live out. Hospitality is a word like giving, it’s always spoken about and everyone inwardly hates hearing about it. We love the idea about what is being discussed but never want to put time aside and live it out. i was inspired by this blog. thank you.