Sometimes the greatest hindrance in life that keeps us from practicing hospitality is ourself! People and relationships can be very messy and we often just dont want to get involved in all that. Andy Stanley once said “If you don’t like dealing with messy people, just remember that you once were a mess, currently are a mess or are just one bad decision away from becoming a mess.”
When we dive into the mess and put hospitality into practice, it gives us the opportunity not only be an example to others, but to also be on the receiving end of someone else’s example of who God created us to be. I encourage you not to miss out on something amazing!
I have a wonderful friend and mentor who is an impressionist painter. I have had the privilege of watching him paint on a number of occasions. As I stand there, up close, all I see is a big mess of paint on the canvas. Everything is blurry and misshapen. But then as I walk backwards and view it at a distance, I can see something beautiful. All of us are messy and flawed when viewed through a microscope. But when viewed through the lens of Gods eyes, we are all beautiful creations.
I admit that sometimes I feel that I am better than some other people and struggle with wanting to invite them to our table. Other times I feel completely inadequate and struggle with inviting people into our life. Both of these feelings are two sides of the same coin called “pride”.
The Bible tells us that we should not think too highly of ourselves but to think of others as being better than us. It also tells us not to think too little of ourselves, because we were created in the image of God. When we are acting out of either of these feelings, we are basically telling God that we know ourselves and other people better than He does.
God created us to be in relationship with other people. And He set the example in Himself. Father, Son and Holy Spirit acting in perfect relationship with one another. When He placed Adam in the garden, He said that it was not good for man to be alone, and He created someone for Adam to be in relationship with. God, Adam and Eve in perfect relationship. Then pride stepped in and things got messy.