Pastor E.A. Adeboye wrote: In 2 Kings 4:8-17, a great woman of Shunem offered a home away from home to Elisha through generous reception and warm entertainment. Her hospitability opened the door to her long awaited miracle. Hospitality is a friendly and generous reception that should be considered as a duty by every Christian. 1 Peter 4:9 says: “Use hospitality one to another without grudging.” It should be noted that some people are reticent about generous reception and some others are even adamant in not showing hospitality to the people of God. Several reasons are given to justify their actions or inactions. These include tiredness and not having enough to entertain. It is however imperative and of great benefit to be hospitable. This is because God commands it (Deuteronomy 10:19). Hospitality is an opportunity to use small resources to attract great benefits. This is an opportunity every believer must grab whenever it comes or even proactively seek after. It can take the form of food or lodging (i.e. accommodation with facilities) as in 2 Kings 4:10. When we encounter the people of God who can benefit from our support, we should not hesitate to show them hospitality. Christians as individuals or as couples should be hospitable. Moreover, couples should agree to make ministers of God comfortable. Lots of benefits can be derived from this. From the story of the Shunammite woman, it is obvious that making men of God comfortable can solve age-long problems, but there must be an agreement between the husband and wife on this. Sometimes people argue that hospitality can be expensive. This could be true. However, the cost of hospitality cannot be compared to its benefits. The cost of providing bread and accommodation for Elisha was less than the benefit of receiving a male child at old age by the Shunammite woman. There are instances where people entertained angels unknowingly (Hebrews 13:2). Hospitality is key to receiving miracles, as reflected in the life of Abraham and his wife Sarah (Genesis 18:2-14). Your miracles will be perfected through hospitality. An additional benefit is that you can win sinners to Christ through hospitality (Luke 7:36-39). The issue of hospitality should not be limited to individual Christians. As a church, you should show hospitality to your guests and visitors. God wants us to be generous; He is always doing something in return for our gracious hospitality. May the Lord help us to make our home and church a home away from home for guests and visitors in Jesus’ Name.
Posted on: Sat, 21 Jun 2014 06:38:27 +0000
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