His Welcoming Heart: The Big Why Behind Our Hospitality

“Hey, Sue? I’m here! Where is everybody? I’m coming in. Shall I put the kettle on?”

Grace never knocked and I could hear her holler from any corner of my house. She figured the sign on the porch, “Time for Tea” meant anytime, any day. And she knew where to find the cream in the refrigerator.

Grace came right on in and I was glad. And she loved it when I’d do the same.

God came right on in, too, when He sent us His Son. He hailed us loud and clear from a cross raised high: “Hey there, mankind, I’m here! I made you because I wanted you. I redeemed you because I loved you.”

I only had to reply, “Here I am.” And then He placed right in front me—at a table big enough for everyone—all I ever needed and will need.

God invited us first: “Come, there’s room. Right here by Me.” His welcoming heart is the “big why” behind our hospitality.

THE NEXT BEST THING

Once we RSVP to God’s wide-open invitation, the next best thing is to pass along His invitation to others. To host because He hosted first is a privilege, not a drudge. When we welcome, we get to show off God’s essence: His welcoming heart. And though it can be plain hard at times, recalling that privilege gives me stamina, courage, and joy.

The Bible says, “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling” (1 Peter 4:9). We may think to ourselves then, Since inviting strangers or friends makes me grumble, maybe it’s not for me!  I may hesitate to host for various reasons—I’m tired, my husband is shy, my kids are grumpy, my couch needs replacing, and I’m broke. I don’t even know where to begin.

All good reasons? Perhaps. But all of our reasoning pales in light of knowing this: When I open wide my home and heart, I get to display the wideness of God’s mercy.

I know God wants me to be hospitable, but I can think of too many reasons not to be. Knowing my why encourages me to go ahead and invite that stranger or host the new family in the neighborhood.

Your neighbor is far more inclined to visit your home for coffee and banana bread than to respond to an invitation to attend church or Bible study. My friend Michelle attended every coffee, dessert, and potluck I invited her to in my home. Finally, I invited her to church. She responded, “What time?” and it became our regular practice to pick her up and drop her off. All because of an invitation.

Inviting someone to my table can be the first step to inviting them to God’s table. That’s the big why. It’s so big that it keeps me changing the sheets one more time without as much grumbling—because I still do grumble—and adding more hamburger to the sauce without fretting (because I can still fret).

HOW TO GET STARTED

The best way to overcome my hospitality hesitations is to begin small and keep it simple. If I’m feeling insecure, I can’t even imagine preparing a formal dinner party for 12. Matching linen napkins aren’t in my wheelhouse—or my drawers. I’ve never been good with Beef Wellington on the menu or desserts that include lighting something on fire.

I’ve learned to begin small by inviting one person or two, rather than the entire youth group or soccer team. When our girls were little, I asked their teachers for tea and cookies after school. My daughter did all the talking, and she learned to host at the same time.

One warm Fall day, I invited two couples for dinner. Since the casserole was prepped and bread in the bread machine, I knew I could still make a cake. But I was worn-out and hot. While on errands, I spied some Halloween Oreos! Instead of homemade, I served ‘store bought’ alongside vanilla ice cream, and we practically licked the bowls. My sister, Lori, once said, “Almost anyone can serve a bowl of ice cream.” I followed her advice that evening, and we made some new friends in the process.