But when we weigh the importance of fellowship and the value of relationships, especially for followers of Jesus, people outweigh the expense.
My daughter and son-in-law recently attended the wedding of a friend who rented someone’s backyard. Christelle mentioned that the owners live on the property. They even saw the family dancing while the music was playing for the wedding guests. How strange to welcome “paying strangers” to your home today and “pretend” not to be around to give the guests privacy!
True hospitality seems to be a dying art unless it's a business. We have turned our beautiful and cozy homes into rentals, sometimes with a minimum stay of two nights, with weekends commanding an even higher price. Some even do home exchange programs, swapping with strangers their supposed sanctuaries to experience something new and different…someone else’s life.
Opening Your Home to Others
Judy and her late husband Steve called their home in the mountains the “funky home” because of its weird U-shape. It was a sprawling property showcased by a large pool, a jacuzzi, a basketball court, and more. This funky home was more than a party house. It was where beautiful relationships and the mentoring of young people took place.
When Judy and Steve accepted their positions at a Southern California Christian camp, they knew they had the hard job of turning it into a profitable business. But what really struck them was how much love the staff needed. They were broken and hurting people—perhaps the result of their own life experiences and stress from the possibility of closing the camp and losing their jobs. Judy and Steve recognized that the real key to nursing the camp back to financial health was to nurse back the lives of the people involved in its operation!
Little did they know that after each Sunday Service, their funky house would be open to host the camp staff, numbering between 40 and 50 people. Judy would be up at 4 a.m. happily baking goodies and preparing casseroles and more. The delicious smells warmly welcomed their guests—mostly young adults, who enjoyed not only the free home-cooked meals but also the chance to relax and be part of a family. Some of the highlights for Judy and Steve and the staff came out of that funky house!
Our family home was like that of Judy and Steve’s—an open house. Many of our friends sat around our dining table to enjoy numerous meals with us. Our parents hosted countless catered dinner parties and barbecues. We even had an 18th birthday for an aunt and a wedding reception for a cousin in our backyard on separate occasions! Looking back, those were very meaningful and memorable moments for all of us.
What Kind of Home Do You Have?
What kind of home do you have? Is it one of those Instagram or Pinterest-worthy homes that magazines such as Better Homes and Gardens and House Beautiful would like to feature? It’s beautiful and well put together, yet cold and devoid of the personalities of the people living in the home. Or is it one of those messy ones that even Marie Kondo’s decluttering tips would not work in tidying up? Yet, every nook and cranny is filled with wonderful memories of warm laughter and love.
I wonder what kind of home Mary, Martha, and Lazarus owned. Was it a big estate? Or was it a humble structure? One thing I can deduce is that it was a home always open to Jesus and His disciples. A home of hospitable people! It’s clear that a close relationship between all of them was forged in this home, so much so that when Martha was feeling the stress of hosting them one more time, she had the audacity to say to Jesus, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me” (Luke 10:40). If Martha didn’t feel comfortable talking to Jesus in this manner, she wouldn’t be able to voice her complaint to Him.
How can our homes be a gathering place of love? Like what Judy and Steve had. Like what Mary, Martha, and Lazarus had. They didn’t seem to consider their pocketbooks to host 13 or 40 or 50 people, whether expected or not. But in today’s economy, it’s easy to make excuses on why we should not spend money on entertaining others. Everything costs too much! But when we weigh the importance of fellowship and the value of relationships, especially for followers of Jesus, people outweigh the expense.
Prioritizing the Hearts of People
A couple of long-time ministry and personal friends texted me that they were visiting Southern California and would like to have a meal with us. My husband and I were excited and decided to host a dinner at our home, as we never had the opportunity to have them over. Ken and I extended an invitation to my sisters and their husbands to share in our friendship with Brandon and Laura. Lots of food! Lots of conversations! Lots of fun! It was past midnight when we reluctantly said our goodbyes. We all felt and said the same thing: We have become like family in those few hours together!
No matter the size of our home, it should be a gathering place of love. We do not need to be super hosts and hostesses, overwhelmed and stressed because our goal is to impress so we can receive raving reviews from our guests. Instead, let’s relax and enjoy the company by being our authentic selves. Let’s listen to the Holy Spirit and obey the heart of Jesus by being generous with true and warm hospitality. Let's offer our homes as tools for Kingdom work, making them gathering places of love!
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Yurii Yarema
Luisa Collopy is an author, speaker and a women’s Bible study teacher. She also produces Mula sa Puso (From the Heart) in Tagalog (her heart language), released on FEBC Philippines stations. Luisa loves spending time with her family over meals and karaoke!
