What comes to mind when you hear the word “hospitality?” Some people believe “hospitality” means entertaining people. Although this might be true in some cases, I think it is much more than this. The dictionary defines hospitality as “the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.” I like to describe hospitality like this: Hospitality is caring for people.

What does the Bible teach about hospitality? 1 Peter 4:9 says, “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling” (ESV). Romans 12:13 says, “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality” (ESV). These verses reveal that hospitality is a regular practice for believers. We are all commanded to show hospitality toward one another and contribute to the needs of the saints. But how do we do it?

Contrary to popular opinion, hospitality doesn’t require inviting people into your home. Although this is one way to express hospitality, there are many other ways to show hospitality too. Let me share a few examples from my own life.

  1. When I was pregnant with our third child, I went into preterm labor at six months. I was in and out of the hospital frequently, and at one point, I spent an entire month in a hospital room. This extended stay overlapped with Valentine’s Day. A hospital room isn’t an ideal location for a romantic date night. To our surprise, a kind friend went out of his way to care for my husband and I so that we could still celebrate. He picked up food from our favorite steakhouse and brought it to the hospital for us to enjoy. That same day, another friend from church called and said her husband was working the night shift on Valentine’s night. She offered to stay overnight with our two little girls so my husband could stay with me at the hospital. These kind gestures meant the world to my husband and I, and these friends turned an inconvenient Valentine’s Day into a memorable one.
  2. A few years ago, our family traveled to California for vacation. Some dear friends who lived in the area knew we had made plans to take our girls to Laguna Beach and Knott’s Berry Farm. They unexpectedly called us before our trip and shared that they had booked us a beach hotel in Laguna Beach and a room at Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel. Both were completely paid for. To say that we were shocked is an understatement. And the surprise didn’t end there. When we arrived at the beach hotel, our friends kindly left us a beach bag filled with our favorite snacks and treats to enjoy. What a fun way to start a vacation! We will never forget their kindness.
  3. The story of how my husband and I bought our first home is a story of its own. God did some amazing things in the home-buying process, and he provided for us in ways we never could have imagined. As we moved into our first home, Brett and I prayed that God would provide opportunities for us to use our new home for his glory and to build up his church. Soon after we prayed these things, our church decided to begin offering in-home Bible study groups. We quickly volunteered to host a group in our home. We hosted small groups in our home for eighteen years after that. Unfortunately, the pandemic brought that season to an end, but God blessed our home immensely during this time. All because we willingly opened the door to our home.
  4. Our family decorated our yard for Christmas last year. A few days after we decorated, someone shared a post about our home on our neighborhood Facebook page. Over 100 people interacted with the post. The kind comments of our neighbors blew us away. It was our first Christmas in this neighborhood. We didn’t know anyone. In response to the unanticipated publicity our house was receiving, we decided to invite our neighborhood over for s’mores, Christmas cookies, and hot cocoa in the driveway. We hoped this invitation would enable us to meet and interact with our neighbors. The yard was decorated like a Candy Land game board, and we wanted kids to enjoy the yard up close too. About 35 people came over. We even had the opportunity to invite some neighbors to church. We already look forward to hosting our neighbors again this Christmas.
  5. In August of 2022, our niece accepted an internship about 20 minutes from our home and was looking for a place to live. Of course, we immediately invited her to move in with us. I wasn’t sure how things would play out—how we would get along or if we would enjoy being around each other so much—but it ended up being an amazing four months together. We absolutely loved having her in our home, and she and I grew very close during this time. I am so thankful we had the opportunity to open our home to her.

In these examples, it may seem like hospitality is a lot of work. Sometimes, it feels like it. It may be awkward living with someone outside of your immediate family. Our friends sacrificed time and money to surprise my family in Laguna Beach. It’s true, hospitality will cost you something. But it’s worth it, and, in every example described above, the one extending hospitality received blessings too because hospitality is rewarding. Of course, we don’t show hospitality to be rewarded, but God, in his grace, made hospitality enjoyable. Hospitality is fun! If you have yet to show hospitality to someone, I highly recommend you do it. You will see God do big things through your obedience, and you are sure to enjoy the process too. I hope these examples from my own life will help you get started.