During our stay with Pastor Silvi in Suryapet, our team experienced hospitality like never before. We were the grateful recipients of blessing after blessing from Pastor, his family, and the entire church. I felt as if I had been taken back to the early church when apostles would travel from city to city without any worry of their needs not being met.
At first, it was almost uncomfortable to be on the receiving end of such generosity. I signed up for this trip thinking that I would always be the one serving others and meeting peoples’ needs. That definitely wasn’t the case here. Of course we had our ministry as well, going into the community and sharing the Word of God, praying over people and building up the local body of believers. But this is why I now have such better understanding and clear visual of what hospitality should look like within a faith community. Because we were so well taken care of, we were able to focus on our roles in ministry. It’s such a fulfilling thing to see the different parts of the body of Christ working together and serving one another to accomplish a greater good.
Seeing how this church came together to provide our meals, help us around town, and just welcome us into their homes really made reconsider how well the church in America is handling this responsibility we’ve been given. As believers living in abundance, shouldn’t we be excited and honored to share these blessings with those around us? We should have an overwhelming desire to help our brothers and sisters in need and also an eagerness to share the love of God. In Romans 12:13, Paul urges the church to, “share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.�
Biblical hospitality is always understood in the context of love and self-sacrifice. In 1 Peter chapter 4, we are commanded to “love each other deeply� and “offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.� We should never open our doors to people out of obligation or guilt, instead, we are called to serve with willing hearts and a Christ-like attitude. I’m so excited about making these words my reality when I return home. I want to become an example for other believers and living testimony for the lost through my practice of hospitality.
