Training Up: Hospitable

As I’m training up our son alongside my Beloved, I try to be mindful of how God wants him to live his life as an adult. I try to teach him good character traits and Christ-like morals now so they are a part of who he is when he is an adult.

 

Training up for hospitality

I also am in prayer for the wife he will one day have, that she too will be in the process of such training. I pray that God will raise her up to be prepared as his wife and that He will guide me to train Jonathan up as her husband, the leader of the home, the provider and spiritual leader as well.

As I have been reading in scripture with an eye for such training, I was struck by the following verse.

Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Hebrews 12:1&2.

So often we read through the scriptures, with our eye focused on those how man divided the verses without seeing the full context. If we back up just a few verses our context changes a bit.

“Wherefore since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire. Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for some have entertained angels unawares.” Hebrews 12:28 – 13:2.

So as we read in this context we see the following truths.
1. we who are firm in the fear of God are receiving a kingdom that is immovable.
2. service to God should be with reverence and fear.
3.God is a consuming fire.
4. We must continue to show love to our spiritual brethren.
5. We should entertain STRANGERS.
6. The possibility is that we may entertain angels.

So often, we talk about entertaining. We invite over our friends for an evening of food and games. We host holidays for families. We might have fellow Christians in for a fellowship meal.

When was the last time you entertained a stranger? I know exactly when I did. Some Christians from Jamaica were travelling into the states and had a layover at a nearby airport. I hosted these dear Christians for a few days. I don’t say this to brag, but rather with shame. If I am to teach my son to be hospitable to strangers, I must first exhibit such hospitality. At the time he was 3. Will he remember those people? Most likely not.

So I need to have an open heart and listening ears to seek opportunities. I must be prepared to offer such hospitality both as the need arises and as I have opportunity. I must not be afraid to seek such opportunity.  That means preparation.

We often have visitors in our worship. I need to be prepared to invite them home to feed them a meal. I need to be watchful and open to this possibility on a regular basis. Training up, requires teaching by example. This is one area that requires me to be more active in my work.

How about you, are you hospitable? Are you prepared to entertain strangers? What are some ways you seek to accomplish this? How have you done this in the past?

Today I’m Linking Up with Sam’s Noggin, Wednesdays in the Word.

Renee Signature

 

 

 

*Scripture: King James Version (KJV) by Public Domain

 

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