Hospitality Habits

Bible Reading: Romans 12:9-13

Hannah gave herself a quick look in the mirror while Faith twirled around in her new skirt. “Girls!” Mom called. “Our company is almost here!” The sisters giggled and raced down the hall.

A few minutes later, Mrs. Kelly arrived with her daughter Brittany, who was about the girls’ age, and Brittany’s little sister, Samantha. The girls brought Brittany to their room to play, and Samantha toddled after them. The first thing little Samantha did when she entered the girls’ room was give Faith’s new stuffed kitty a big squeeze. Faith gasped. “Samantha! No!” She took the kitty from Samantha’s hands and placed it out of her reach.

Ten minutes later the girls were having a tea party when Samantha bumped into the table and the carefully placed dishes came crashing down. “Samantha!” Hannah said sternly. “You’re ruining everything!”

“I’ll take her back to Mom,” Brittany said quietly. She took her younger sister by the hand and led her out of the room.

Mom came in a few minutes later. “How’s it going in here, girls?”

Faith frowned. “Brittany’s nice, but her sister is messing up all our stuff!”

“Yeah!” Hannah chimed in. “She even almost broke my favorite pony!”

Mom sighed. “Girls, do you remember the verse we learned this morning? First Peter 4:9?”

“‘Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling,’” the girls mumbled.

Mom nodded. “Mrs. Kelly and her daughters don’t know Jesus. As Christians, it’s important for us to show others the love and grace Jesus has shown us. Do you think the way you were acting toward Samantha did that?”

The girls looked at the floor and shook their heads.

“Well, how can you make this right?” Mom asked.

“Wait and see!” Faith said with a grin.

When Brittany and Samantha walked in a minute later, the girls knelt down beside Samantha and offered her two of their favorite stuffed animals. “Pet her head, Samantha,” Hannah said, holding out her stuffed kitty. “She’s so fluffy.” Samantha pet the kitty’s head and giggled.

Mom beamed and headed for the door. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go share my favorite chocolates with Mrs. Kelly!” – Savannah Coleman

How About You?

Is it hard for you to share your special toys and treats when others come to visit you? A great way to practice hospitality is to remember two things: 1) People always matter more than things, and 2) God gave us everything we have so we could use it to show others His love. When we open our homes to others, it opens our hearts to them as well.

Today’s Key Verse:
1 Peter 4:9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Practice hospitality