To Encourage You

1 Peter 4:9 “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.”

You’ve heard the expression, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Well, in reading the passage above this morning I had a parallel thought, i.e., that a few words from God are worth a thousand words of man. You see, our omniscient God never meant for any of His words to drop to the ground. Regarding man we are told, “When words are many, transgression is not lacking”; therefore we are given the advice that “whoever restrains his lips is prudent” (Proverbs 10:19). With God’s words, on the other hand, Jesus told us, “until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:18).  In other words, every word that God has told us is critical for us to hear, for “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  So, does this apply to the verse above from 1 Peter 4? Obviously, the answer is “yes,” just as it is for the rest of God’s Word.

So, let’s think a little more deeply about this verse. Interestingly, this teaching about hospitality is so critical that Paul instructed the church that a person would be disqualified for the position of a pastor if he didn’t demonstrate this trait (Titus 1:8; 1 Timothy 3:2). The word used here means “fond of guests; the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.” It’s noteworthy that this command is given in the context of the previous verses from 1 Peter that says we are to “keep loving one another earnestly.” It means to be “stretched” in our love for one another. So, apparently showing hospitality without grumbling is one significant means whereby we can do this.

In thinking about this more, we should consider that the idea carries with it the use of what is most people’s most treasured possession: their home. Aren’t you thankful for the roof over your head? As I write this, I’m looking out the window. The snow is falling steadily, and it is 30 degrees. It’s obvious to me that my home is one of God’s most blessed physical gifts. And as with most other worldly possessions, it’s something that I can be tempted to be selfish with. It’s something into which I’ve poured my blood, sweat, tears (and more of my money than anything else). So, how should I be using this possession that God, in His grace, has given me? Well, according to Peter’s instruction above, it should be a means by which I am showing love to others. It’s something I should be willing and eager to do. It’s a place to which I should welcome others with open arms. It’s a place I should be willing to use to meet another person’s needs, with eyes open to see those needs when they are around me.

You see, God, in His wisdom, knows that if I have an attitude of hospitality regarding my most costly physical possession, I’ll also have that attitude with lesser things. It’s in this way that God conveys a vast message with just a few words. It’s the way this One, Who invented human language, speaks to us. And in the end, how we’ve obeyed this command will be a test of our faithfulness. You see, one of the ways Jesus has told us that, in the end, He will commend those who have been faithful to Him is that “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35).  And it is then that we will so incredibly understand that whenever we’ve lovingly welcomed someone into our home with hospitality, we were ultimately loving and welcoming Him.