“Take a constant interest in the needs of God’s beloved people and respond by helping them. And eagerly welcome people as guests into your home.” (Romans‬ ‭12:13‬ ‭TPT‬‬)

I read a statistic that alarmed me today: 40% of Christian households have no visitors. As our dependence upon technology increases, our social interactions decrease. We’re living in an epidemic of loneliness. 

So many families and friends are living parallel lives. We’re doing “all the things”, but we’re simply too busy, too tired, or too lazy to do those things together. But it doesn’t have to be this way. More than that… God didn’t intend for it to be this way. 

The importance of hospitality is emphasized throughout scripture. It literally translates to “love of stranger”. Paul’s writings usually come to mind, but we also hear a call to hospitality way back in Leviticus. God exhorts us to welcome the outsider, keeping in mind the fact that we ourselves were sojourners and strangers, alienated from God by nature of our sinfulness. 

In Jesus, we have been given an open-door, inviting kind of love — one that breaks right through the barriers of sin and offers outsiders a seat at the table. In response to that gift, we’re called to follow His example and practice hospitality.

This doesn’t mean we need to have the perfectly planned meal, the immaculate home, or the most polite kids — it simply means we need to open the door consistently. There’s a whole lot of power and potential in sharing a piece of our everyday lives with the people God has placed around us. When we welcome others into our circle, we reflect that shepherding love of Jesus. When we practice hospitality, our households broaden. When we step out of isolation and into community, we find that we are better together, and that God’s design is always good.