Daily Thought for Tuesday, October 25th

October 25, 2011

Be Hospitable

Today’s Thought:

“A house may draw visitors, but it is the possessor alone that can detain them.”  – Charles Caleb Colton

Today’s Quote:

“A hundred thousand welcomes. I could weep and I could laugh, I am light and heavy.  Welcome.”  – William Shakespeare

Today’s Question:

“What is there more kindly than the feeling between host and guest?” – Aeschylus

Today’s Bible Verses:           Luke 14:23,  Hebrews 13:1-2  &  1 Peter 4:8-10

And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging.  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Today’s Spiritual Thought:

“Happy the man who never puts on a face, but receives every visitor with that countenance he has on."  –  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Having guests seems to require a great deal of preparation for most of us. That does not diminish our act of being hospitable: but are we really being hospitable in the Biblical context when we only have guests that we are able to prepare for in advance?

Spiritual hospitality requires a perpetual willingness to open our hearts to whoever may come a calling.

Being hospitable in a spiritual context, I think, transcends the concept of opening our homes for a meal or an overnight stay:  I rather believe it means opening our hearts and taking the time to be friendly, to listen to care about the people we encounter, where ever that might be.  Oft I think it is less about inviting someone to come over, as it is being willing to share our time and space with those who are right around us.

Sadly, in our busy work a day worlds, we tune people out thus in effect shutting the door to the opportunity of allowing our lives to touch each other’s.

Unfortunately this happens a lot in our churches as well.  We have our groups and our meetings but if you’re not a regular part or participant sometimes we just aren’t as inviting and friendly as we ought to be.

Being hospitable from a spiritual perspective means being open to receiving all those folks God brings into our life to share in our experiences together.

Are you a hospitable person?  If not wouldn’t you like to be?  Remember if we love God we will do those things He tells us to: and He tells us to be hospitable.

Today’s Prayer:

Father, forgive me if and when I have made others feel unwelcome in my world.  Help me to be a better host, more willing to freely share of the grace, love and blessings I have received with those who I may encounter.

“Welcome is the best cheer.”

– Thomas Fuller