I so love the book of Romans! Especially chapter 12. Every time I consider purchasing a new Bible, this is the chapter I read to test whether I should buy that particular version. (I have a system, okay?! Ha ha!)
Well, today a particular verse was brought back to my remembrance...verse 13 that says:
"...distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality."
And I know I'm not the first to make this connection, but in order to adhere to the command to be "given to hospitality" you've got to have a relatively clean house, right?
Having been fairly diligent lately to stay on track with my "FLYing," my home has been relatively presentable. That feels so awesome! While I wouldn't jump to host a ladies tea at my place at this point, I can have people over without being totally embarrassed by my lack of diligence in housekeeping. I can even invite people in if they show up unexpectedly. Even my kitchen has been in such a state of semi-readiness that I can offer a snack to people. It feels great to just open the door and say "sure, come on in!" without scrambling to tidy up and throw a bunch of stuff in the bedroom and quickly close the door. (Probably nobody else knows what I'm talking about!)
I know that hospitality extends far beyond moving past talking to visitors on the porch. But chaos (or CHAOS- Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome as the Fly Lady calls it) in our home is something that keeps us from moving toward the Biblical directive to be given to hospitality. And guess what? If you are regularly given to hospitality, your house will by necessity stay clean and orderly. It's a beautiful thing!
The Bible tells us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39). But in order to love our neighbor, we need to love our self! We need to make our home a place that we love to be, and in turn, other people will love to be there too! And we will love to invite them over!
Where are you on this journey? Are you loving yourself? Are you loving your neighbor and inviting them over? What can you do this week to take a step closer to hospitality?
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