Hospitality & Formation

There's a unique relationship between hospitality and our personal formation and the role hospitality plays in all of our lives. For the past few years my curiosity regarding hospitality has led to questions such as:

What is it...really? Where do I see it in the Bible? What does it look like to show hospitality in my daily life? How do hospitality and interior design (a specific focus of mine) intersect? What’s the relationship between hospitality and who we are becoming? And so on.

WE ARE ALL BEING FORMED IN THE BIG AND SMALL THINGS OF DAILY LIFE - FROM OUR HABITS TO THE THINGS WE READ - ALL OF THAT WHICH WE ENGAGE IN FORMS US; THEREFORE, I PROPOSE THAT HOSPITALITY SHOULD BE A PART OF THAT FORMATION PROCESS.

As we show hospitality, serving others with Love, we testify about Christ to the world. And in the process, we are deeply formed because of it.

The more I thought about hospitality the more connections I made between following the way of Jesus and what it means to be a hospitable person. Some of these connections related to specific spiritual disciplines (like silence and solitude) within Interior Design and the hospitality between oneself and God (you can read about that in a future post), while other acts of formation focused on becoming people of patience, presence and bearing the fruit of the Spirit, exhibiting joy, gentleness and self-control. Hospitality can stretch us to be people of generosity and humility as we offer ourselves vulnerably.

There are innumerable ways hospitality can form us, but ultimately…

Hospitality transforms our hearts. (when surrendered to the Spirit)

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul says that we can do many things, but if we do them without love, they are meaningless. Hospitality motivated by Love will transform us, it will soften our hearts, it will bring about compassion as we serve others. But I’m not talking about just any love. I’m talking about God’s Love. When we show hospitality not from our own strength but with the Love of God as our source, then we can partner with God to love His creation - both human beings made in His image and the world He gave us to dwell in.

It is from this place that we can be formed into people of Love who follow the way of Jesus. A heart transformed means little, if that heart does not also hold Love.

And we cannot hold love if we do not know Love.

So while I truly believe hospitality can transform us, it would do you no good if we didn’t acknowledge this first. So, for the one who desires to open your home, your business, your small group, whatever it may be, for the person who desires to show hospitality, remember first that there is a God who loves you, who seeks to know you, give yourself to God. Be in relationship and enjoy the pleasure of being known, being welcomed, being loved.

Then, go, serve, welcome others - and be deeply formed - in that strength.