“Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Heb 13:1-2)
Here in the south, we are known for our hospitality (“Southern Hospitality”). We’re friendly with just about everyone and enjoy spending time sitting around shooting the breeze. But I wonder if that has declined some in the last couple of years. How would you say you are doing at inviting people to spend time with you? The verse above talks about showing hospitality to strangers, but the concept also applies to people that we already know. You never know who might be a ‘messenger from God.’
It’s great to come to church and spend time worshiping together, but deeper relationships are built on more than just an hour or two each week sitting alongside each other. They are built on sitting across the dinner table from each other talking about how work is going. They are built on playing a game together (at the house/course/range/park/etc.) and talking about your family. They are built on spending time together. Its great to tell another family “Hey, let’s go out to eat together.” But it is so much more personal and intimate when you say “Come over to my house.”
When was the last time that you had someone over for dinner? When was the last time you were invited to someone’s house? Set a goal for yourself to invite someone over (or even invite someone out) once or twice each month. Church attendance is going back up. So we’re doing pretty good at ‘not forsaking the assembly,’ but let’s be sure that we are entertaining some angels as well.