Matthew 10:40-42
“We are intimately linked in this harvest work. Anyone who accepts what you do, accepts me, the One who sent you. Anyone who accepts what I do accepts my Father, who sent me. Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being God’s messenger. Accepting someone’s help is as good as giving someone help. This is a large work I’ve called you into, but don’t be overwhelmed by it. It’s best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won’t lose out on a thing.”
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
My husband and I went shopping for a used car this week. You can learn a lot about life – and even Christian witness – from used car salespeople! There are those who seem to appear from nowhere as soon as your car hits their lot. They pounce on you like vultures… “What can I show you? What do you think about this one? How much were you planning to spend? What don’t you like?”
Then there are those who amble over as you peer into the window of a vehicle, stick out their hand and say, “Welcome! I’m here if you need me or have any questions, but otherwise, I’ll just let you look around.” They step back and let you look…kick the tires… and maybe unlock a door or two for you to take a peek inside. In other words, they start small. They don’t throw everything on the table all at once… they let you look and think and absorb the situation in manageable doses.
Now, who do you think you would rather buy a car from… the pushy salesperson who tries to cram his/her product down your throat… or the laidback, patient one who shows you hospitality and almost acts like you are doing them a favor by visiting their establishment?
It’s the same with our Christian witness. If we approach people with an all-out, “you’ve-got-to-believe-in-Jesus-like-I-do-or-you’ll-go-to-hell” attitude or demeanor, we will not be welcome… nor will our message. Nobody wants to be coerced or made to feel inferior. Think about people you know who are “preachy” and pious… those who are always ready to tell you that your real problem is that you don’t know Jesus… or at least you don’t know Him like they do! These are the ones who are always talking about “Christian” behavior while acting anything BUT “Christian” themselves. How open are you to their message? Are these people truly welcome in your life… or are they merely tolerated, at best?
I think of all of the people I know who go about their lives with a quiet, peaceful confidence… making occasional references to their faith and how God has blessed them… but more importantly, busy loving others and caring about them in ways great and small. I am so inspired and motivated by how they conduct themselves… how they handle crises… their inner strength and their outer goodness. THIS is the hospitality of Jesus in action! These are the people I welcome with open arms and with whom I desire fellowship! Theirs is the example I wish to follow and emulate. In other words, I want some of what they have!
Which camp are you in? What sort of “salesperson” for Jesus are you… a pushy, know-it-all… or one who exudes hospitality and offers a hearty welcome? Remember…our job as Christ’s Disciples is to share His Good News and to serve as His hands and feet on this earth… and then to be on our way. Nowhere in the Bible does it say, “Stay and push until people bend and break.” God doesn’t want coercion… He wants willing servants who come to Him with an open heart and a deep hunger for what He offers. And He needs harvest hands that will show Christian hospitality and welcome to those they encounter.
Are you a welcoming witness for Jesus? Do you demonstrate hospitality and a faith in Christ that is appealing to others? Ask God to show you how and where to make needed changes. Learn to operate in warmth and cordiality… to show others a quiet faith and service that is genuine, humble, and inviting. Start small and watch the impact of your Christian welcome grow. See how God can multiply your efforts, as others accept and serve Him because you do. Be a blessing to be blessed… and don’t miss out on a single thing God has for you!
©2012 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label hospitality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hospitality. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for September 1, 2012
James 2:12-13
Talk and act like a person expecting to be judged by the Rule that sets us free. For if you refuse to act kindly, you can hardly expect to be treated kindly. Kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
While my husband and I were taking Timothy home to Texas one recent Sunday, he announced that he needed to use the restroom. We were driving down the Interstate at the time - with no exit in sight. When my husband did find an exit, there was what appeared to be a residential neighborhood on one side of the Interstate, and a high school campus on the other. My husband decided to take a chance that someone would be at the high school. Miraculously, there were several cars in the parking lot. Football coaches were apparently viewing game films in preparation for future scrimmages. I opened the door to the building, and a coach came out of his meeting to see if he could help us.
I cannot tell you how gracious these coaches were to a woman with a 3-year-old in desperate need of a restroom. I have to believe they had “been there, done that” in some manner with their own children. They did not judge us in the least, but generously directed us to a restroom down the hallway. These men didn’t know me. They could have easily refused to allow us to enter their building… or they could have stood guard over us as if we were not to be trusted. But they did neither of these things. They treated Timothy and me as they would want their own wives and children to be treated… with respect and kindness.
Now I will admit, it would be hard to refuse a cute kid like Timothy. But when we got back in the car, my husband said, “Had the door been locked, I was prepared to start knocking on doors in that neighborhood on the other side of the Interstate.” How do you suppose someone would have reacted if a strange woman with a toddler had knocked on their door and asked to use the restroom? How would YOU react? I think we would be understandably skeptical, particularly if we lived near an Interstate highway outside of Dallas, Texas! But I have to believe that someone would have tried to help us… and that I would do the same in a similar situation.
Still, this illustrates on a somewhat larger scale how we treat others every day… and how we should treat them. Often we don’t know the full circumstances of another person’s life. We don’t have a clue what placed them in our path on any given day. And really, the circumstances don’t matter. What matters is that God brings people and situations into our lives every day and watches to see how we will handle them. And we can hardly expect Him to be gracious and merciful toward us if we have not done so in our own lives!
My challenge for all of us is to operate a little more in love and kindness… and a lot less in judgment and arrogance. Look at the other guy and remind yourself, “He/she is every bit as precious and important to God as I am. What would God want me to do in this situation?” Offer the love, grace and mercy of Jesus to those you encounter. If you don’t, you can hardly be surprised if/when others judge you unfairly. Give as good as you get – or better! Operate by “the Rule that sets us free,” and leave the judgment to God - where it belongs!
©2012 Debbie Robus
Talk and act like a person expecting to be judged by the Rule that sets us free. For if you refuse to act kindly, you can hardly expect to be treated kindly. Kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
While my husband and I were taking Timothy home to Texas one recent Sunday, he announced that he needed to use the restroom. We were driving down the Interstate at the time - with no exit in sight. When my husband did find an exit, there was what appeared to be a residential neighborhood on one side of the Interstate, and a high school campus on the other. My husband decided to take a chance that someone would be at the high school. Miraculously, there were several cars in the parking lot. Football coaches were apparently viewing game films in preparation for future scrimmages. I opened the door to the building, and a coach came out of his meeting to see if he could help us.
I cannot tell you how gracious these coaches were to a woman with a 3-year-old in desperate need of a restroom. I have to believe they had “been there, done that” in some manner with their own children. They did not judge us in the least, but generously directed us to a restroom down the hallway. These men didn’t know me. They could have easily refused to allow us to enter their building… or they could have stood guard over us as if we were not to be trusted. But they did neither of these things. They treated Timothy and me as they would want their own wives and children to be treated… with respect and kindness.
Now I will admit, it would be hard to refuse a cute kid like Timothy. But when we got back in the car, my husband said, “Had the door been locked, I was prepared to start knocking on doors in that neighborhood on the other side of the Interstate.” How do you suppose someone would have reacted if a strange woman with a toddler had knocked on their door and asked to use the restroom? How would YOU react? I think we would be understandably skeptical, particularly if we lived near an Interstate highway outside of Dallas, Texas! But I have to believe that someone would have tried to help us… and that I would do the same in a similar situation.
Still, this illustrates on a somewhat larger scale how we treat others every day… and how we should treat them. Often we don’t know the full circumstances of another person’s life. We don’t have a clue what placed them in our path on any given day. And really, the circumstances don’t matter. What matters is that God brings people and situations into our lives every day and watches to see how we will handle them. And we can hardly expect Him to be gracious and merciful toward us if we have not done so in our own lives!
My challenge for all of us is to operate a little more in love and kindness… and a lot less in judgment and arrogance. Look at the other guy and remind yourself, “He/she is every bit as precious and important to God as I am. What would God want me to do in this situation?” Offer the love, grace and mercy of Jesus to those you encounter. If you don’t, you can hardly be surprised if/when others judge you unfairly. Give as good as you get – or better! Operate by “the Rule that sets us free,” and leave the judgment to God - where it belongs!
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for December 22, 2010
Acts 2:42
They spent their time learning from the apostles, and they were like family to each other. They also broke bread and prayed together.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
There have always been people in my “extended family” who were no blood relation. When my sister, brother and I were small, my parents were almost inseparable from another couple with two children our same ages. They were like a brother and sister to us, as were several other children whose parents were in my parents’ close inner circle of friends. And my mother’s childhood friend was forever my “Aunt Martha,” although we were not related by blood. Our close neighbors were like family members, and they shared our joys and our sorrows through the years.
My husband’s family had similar “extended family members”… friends, neighbors… people who were likely to show up at family gatherings, holiday dinners, or any other time when we were all gathered together. And as an adult, some of our dear friends have become “extended family,” as well. For many years, our Christmas festivities included a childhood next-door neighbor who is like a sister to me, her husband and their children. Also often present was a friend of my mother-in-law who had no family members living in this area. And for many years, my parents’ Christmas Eve celebration included friends of ours who had few, if any, relatives living nearby. We made them part of our family.
As years passed, some of my relatives moved away. Many others passed away, and the number of attendees at our holiday gatherings dwindled. But then we began to look around at those who had no relatives – and nowhere to go – and we started to include them in our celebration. We didn’t actively go out looking for “recruits” – it sort of happened naturally… or Supernaturally! And now, our holiday celebrations often include one or two people who are part of our extended family. We don’t love them any less, and we enjoy sharing our table, our gifts, and our company with them.
Our bonds have strengthened over the years, and the extended family members have become special to us. They know that they always have a place at our table and in our homes – during the holidays or any other time. And I am quite sure that this practice will continue in the years ahead. We’ve discovered that we are blessed far more than our guests when we open our hearts – and our homes – to them.
Who in your circle of friends have you overlooked this Christmas? Who has nowhere to go… no Christmas dinner to attend… no stocking on the mantel or even the tiniest package waiting under a tree somewhere? Who could you include in your festivities and offer a few hours of your hospitality – and the love of Christ – this holiday? Have you learned from the apostles and opened your heart and your home to others? Isn’t this a perfect time to begin?
©2010 Debbie Robus
They spent their time learning from the apostles, and they were like family to each other. They also broke bread and prayed together.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
There have always been people in my “extended family” who were no blood relation. When my sister, brother and I were small, my parents were almost inseparable from another couple with two children our same ages. They were like a brother and sister to us, as were several other children whose parents were in my parents’ close inner circle of friends. And my mother’s childhood friend was forever my “Aunt Martha,” although we were not related by blood. Our close neighbors were like family members, and they shared our joys and our sorrows through the years.
My husband’s family had similar “extended family members”… friends, neighbors… people who were likely to show up at family gatherings, holiday dinners, or any other time when we were all gathered together. And as an adult, some of our dear friends have become “extended family,” as well. For many years, our Christmas festivities included a childhood next-door neighbor who is like a sister to me, her husband and their children. Also often present was a friend of my mother-in-law who had no family members living in this area. And for many years, my parents’ Christmas Eve celebration included friends of ours who had few, if any, relatives living nearby. We made them part of our family.
As years passed, some of my relatives moved away. Many others passed away, and the number of attendees at our holiday gatherings dwindled. But then we began to look around at those who had no relatives – and nowhere to go – and we started to include them in our celebration. We didn’t actively go out looking for “recruits” – it sort of happened naturally… or Supernaturally! And now, our holiday celebrations often include one or two people who are part of our extended family. We don’t love them any less, and we enjoy sharing our table, our gifts, and our company with them.
Our bonds have strengthened over the years, and the extended family members have become special to us. They know that they always have a place at our table and in our homes – during the holidays or any other time. And I am quite sure that this practice will continue in the years ahead. We’ve discovered that we are blessed far more than our guests when we open our hearts – and our homes – to them.
Who in your circle of friends have you overlooked this Christmas? Who has nowhere to go… no Christmas dinner to attend… no stocking on the mantel or even the tiniest package waiting under a tree somewhere? Who could you include in your festivities and offer a few hours of your hospitality – and the love of Christ – this holiday? Have you learned from the apostles and opened your heart and your home to others? Isn’t this a perfect time to begin?
©2010 Debbie Robus
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