The Daily Word

 

I hesitate before I comment on Paul’s next exhortation in his practical Christian living guide in Romans 12, because it is an area of my life that I am not strong on. It consists of 2 words, “Practice hospitality”.

Certainly as we look through the Old Testament, there is much written about hospitality and perhaps in the Middle East, it is more customary to offer meals, accommodation and refreshment to perhaps strangers but as reserved Westerners, it is not a custom. We exercise hospitality to our friends on occasions, but rarely to strangers but the key word is ‘practice’. This implies an intention followed by discipline to undertake a task and Paul’s exhortation includes those motivations.

As a church we are better at hospitality because it should be part of providing a welcoming environment to those who come in and our coffee morning and even the drinks during the service on Sunday are part of the hospitality we show.

It is a very valid extension to the last exhortation we looked at, ‘to share with the Lord’s people in need’ because it has wider implication that just our fellow Christians and it also is an expression of love in its widest sense, love for others and responding to God’s love for us.

Article written by Brian Preston, Elder @SFGH Church