You’re Always Welcome
From this one act of hospitality the kingdom of God grew.
Reference: “…and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” (Acts 17:7)
Explore: I was brought up in a house that had a very wide front door. I am, of course, speaking figuratively.
Everyone was always welcome to come to our home, and in fact, still are. My mother is always inviting people over for a meal or coffee and has shown me the most amazing example of hospitality.
It was never an issue to add an extra plate to the table or to bring out the cheese and biscuits as someone dropped by unexpectedly. Even my friends knew they were always welcome in our home and my mum was overly delighted when they popped over for a visit.
“You’re always welcome” is a sentence she has often used and, if she has not said it out loud, people have always known it by her actions of hospitality.
Application: It’s not always easy to offer hospitality as life is busy enough on our own. Usually when people need a meal or some time to chat we find ourselves preoccupied with our own situation. However, the hospitality we can offer to people can make a huge difference.
In Acts 17 we hear of a gentleman called Jason who offered hospitality and it became very inconvenient. Due to his houseguests, he was dragged before the authorities and placed in a difficult situation.
And yet, because of his openness to accommodate someone in his home, people’s lives were changed – some became believers in Jesus and others even dedicated their lives to becoming missionaries. From this one act of hospitality the kingdom of God grew.
We may not always see the impact of our hospitality, but the more we open up our homes and our lives to others, the more God can move through the love and warmth we offer.
Prayer: Lord, we can fill our homes with precious items and yet forget that the greatest thing our homes can hold is love. May we open up our lives to share Your love with all who enter into our homes. Amen.
How wide is your front door?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.