Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
—1 PETER 4:9

One of my favorite things about the city we live in is the food. We have cuisine from all over the world. Eating out and trying new food is something we do often. But I also enjoy having people in our home. We love to open our home and share our favorite foods—and our hearts—with people we love.

Have you ever noticed that Jesus seemed to love food too? How often He broke bread with someone? He frequently went to someone’s home, shared a meal or a drink with people, and engaged them in conversation. Jesus gave us great examples of how God can use the ordinary act of eating together to make a difference in the world.

Jesus ate with tax collectors at the home of Levi (Luke 5:27–31). He shared a meal in the home of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38–42). He even invited Himself over to Zacchaeus’s house for dinner (Luke 19:1–10)! For Jesus, sharing a meal was a key opportunity for mission to happen in God’s kingdom. Over and over again we see Him loving and serving those around Him through the act of hospitality.

Think about that for a moment. We can live on mission, have an impact on the world, right from home. Throughout the Bible, hospitality was seen as a primary way for Christians to open their hearts to others. Following their example, we can open our homes not to impress others, but to serve them.

As we open our homes and our hearts to neighbors, friends, or coworkers, God may use us to help them open their hearts to Jesus. This ordinary act can allow God to do extraordinary things!

Father, help me be willing to open my home to love and serve other people. Give me the peace and reassurance that my home doesn’t have to be perfect in order for Your presence to be felt by others. Please use the simple, ordinary act of sharing a meal to make an extraordinary difference in the lives of those who join us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Why is it important to remember that hospitality is not for impressing people, but for serving them? In what ways does hospitality provide a great opportunity to love and serve someone else? We’d love to hear!

Excerpted with permission from The Better Mom Devotional by Ruth Schwenk, copyright Ruth Schwenk. Available now everywhere books are sold.

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