Worldly and Biblical Hospitality

Today, I want to talk a little about the difference between Worldly and Biblical Hospitality.

In the world, entertaining guests is a prideful action, usually meant to impress the guests. You worry about making everything perfect. You fuss over the menu and table settings. You think your house must be in perfect order and ready for guests before you can even possibly think about entertaining guests. If your house isn’t perfectly clean, decorated or “finished” then you just can’t possibly entertain guests. This sort of hospitality gives a false impression and ideal. It’s more about making yourself look perfect. You strive for perfection. It is a selfish act, because pride takes over and says, “Look at me! Taste my cooking! See my clever table decor!” Worldly hospitality is done to build up one’s own self. The model and standard for this sort of hospitality come from books, magazines and TV. Martha Stewart (or others) become our idols and we feel pressure to imitate their perfection. Often forgetting that behind that perfection is a team of dozens of people ensuring that perfection is achieved.

Biblical hospitality, on the other hand, is humble. It puts people before flashy table settings and perfectly planned menus. It does not require the “perfect” home, but shows happiness and contentment with what we have. Biblical hospitality simply just wants to reach out and love those around us–no matter our circumstances. It allows you to be yourself without pretenses. It is freely giving what you have to those you invite into your home. It builds up others; it’s focus is on others. Biblical hospitality is modeled to us in Scripture in how the first century church shared all things.

And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:44-47

As you can see there is a great difference between worldly and Biblical hospitality. To quote author Karen Burton Mains in her book “Open Heart, Open Home”, “Hospitality, like charity, must begin at home.”