Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. – Hebrews 13:2
I am always so convicted when I read this verse because I have never been one given to hospitality. Growing up, I was a bit of a loner and did not enjoy attending large activities or events. I stayed home a lot, preferring rather to read a book or to draw. I loved being in my own space with no interruptions. It is no surprise that I had a difficult time with hospitality when I became an adult and married a pastor.
My husband, who was Hispanic, grew up in a home where there were many people. People were always milling about, ready to host family, friends, and even strangers at a moment’s notice. Therefore, being hospitable was not difficult to my husband.
A pastor’s wife must learn the art of opening her home to others and being a blessing to them with what the Lord has given. I am a fairly private person, so I struggled when it came to hosting someone in my home. Every time my husband informed me that a young person needed a place to stay for a while or that a missionary family was passing through and did not have a place to stay, I cringed. I am embarrassed when I think about that, but it was the truth then.
I do not know exactly why it was so hard for me, but it was. Maybe it was partly because of the stress of the extra preparation needed to get my home ready for someone to stay there. For the most part, it was the simple fact that I did not want to be pushed out of my comfort zone. I wanted my home to be private and did not want anyone else to see that I was not perfect.
During my years as a pastor’s wife, I came across a book called A Christian Woman’s Guide to Hospitality by Quin Sherrer & Laura Watson. It changed my whole outlook on hospitality because it came from a Christian perspective. After reading that book, my heart was motivated to practice hospitality in my home.
Two verses in particular stood out to me from this book. Romans 12:13 says, Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Being hospitable does not come easy, but it should be something for which a Christian strives. After all, all that we have is from the Lord. If we see someone in need, we should be willing to supply that need by sharing what we have, including our homes.
Another verse I really love is Matthew 10:41. The beginning of this verse says, He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward;… When thinking about this verse, we can imagine all of the rewards to be claimed for ourselves for hosting a missionary or a pastor and his family in our homes! Of course, we should never do something for someone else only for what we can receive in return; rather, we should look at it as a privilege and a blessing to help fill a need in the lives of others. The joy of seeing them serve God in the future is reward enough!
As a mother raising five children, it was not always easy to have strangers in my home. However, it brings me such joy now to see all of these young people or missionary families that we hosted in our home, whose lives we had the privilege to touch, serving the Lord in some capacity. I can name quite a few who have continued to serve the Lord in many capacities, not just in their local church but in other countries! It is such a blessing to my heart to see all of these people serving the Lord in such a great way and to think that we knew them when they were still trying to find their way in the ministry.
I think of a young lady who stayed in our home for a short time before being able to attend Bible college. She met her future husband in our church, and now they are serving the Lord and doing a wonderful job in Puerto Rico. Another young lady who stayed in our home for a short while later married a college student from our church. They currently are serving the Lord in Mexico. Many others come to mind who were invited to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas in our home because they were in college and were unable to go home for the holidays. So many of those who I never imagined would be serving the Lord in the United States or around the world are doing just that today.
All of these examples remind me of why we should never shy away from opening our homes in hospitality to other Christians. We should look at it as a blessing and a means to serve the Lord in a unique way that may make all the difference to another child of God!
by April Hernandez
