Offering Hospitality

8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 

9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  1 Peter 4:8-9

So, because I’m a little nerdy (and my husband is 100% nerdy—and, I don’t even have to apologize for saying this—he owns it proudly) we recently started a devotional book together based on The Lord of the Rings. This was not my choice, but I’m trying to be a good sport and play along.

This morning, the devotion was on hospitality, and talked about how the hobbits (who are the heroes of the books) are hospitable people who like to have guests and make people feel comfortable. They like to eat a lot and throw parties, and it’s important for them to have good food, cozy guest beds, and plenty of room to entertain.

As I read the devotional this morning and read about how our Christian responsibility is to offer hospitality to all, I couldn’t help but think back to the Methodist Family Health acknowledgements that I looked over yesterday. I’m sure you guys are all better than me, but I honestly didn’t remember that good hospitality was literally in our policy. The exact headings under the Customer Service that we are all expected to perform are “Make It Easy,” “Be Positive,” “Be Patient,” and “Be Polite,” among others. While we may all struggle with some of these from time to time, I do think they completely fall in line with the verse above from 1 Peter, reminding us to offer hospitality (without grumbling). We are called not only to live by these guidelines at work, but also at home, which can be even more challenging sometimes when we’ve been doing it all day at work.

However, I think it’s not to be ignored that the prior verse reminds us to love deeply, which covers over sins. I know, for me at least, it can be a daily struggle to love those who I feel like are sinning against me, whether it be unkind words, frustrating actions, or even just general rudeness. When we truly love those around us, though, what they do doesn’t really matter. That love that we have covers over their bad behaviors, which is the only way that we are able to continue to offer hospitality. And, thankfully, we are reminded in 1 John 4 that we love others because God loves through us. We don’t have to try to cover the sins in our own power, but we can ask God for help to see others as He sees them.

I know that days can be long, people can be difficult, and that we sometimes lose all of our patience by lunchtime (if not before!) On those days, may we continue to offer hospitality to ALL that we encounter, and may love cover our own sins, so that others will continue to offer the kindnesses that we need to make it through until tomorrow!