Practice make Proficient (Romans 12:1-21)
Growing up in my house it was always a given that Sunday after church our dinning room table in our small dinning room would be filled with guests for lunch. My mother would invite different people, offering them a seat at our dinning table as well as an ear to listen to them share their thoughts on the sermon or about their life. There were some regulars who often graced our dinning table as well a newcomers. One of the regulars was a man named Lenny Larson. He was an older (borderline elderly) gentleman. He didn't have much as far as the world was concerned but his love for the lord made up for that and he always knew he had a seat at my mothers table. Sunday lunch wasn't the only time we had people over, no, we would have people over for picnics and on holidays as well. My mom and dad opened up their home all the time. We also were invited to many different homes for a meal. Some homes had fancy sit down meals and others were casual home style affairs. I loved them all. I loved getting to know people, seeing how they lived, learning how they liked to entertain. To get an invitation felt special, it felt welcoming, it felt loving. It was a great time of being connected to others over a meal with good conversation. I still love to have people over and to go over others peoples homes. I don't care if the dinner is hot dogs on a paper plate or a 4 course meal it's simply the time spent that is so special.
As our lives become more and more busy, more and more full of activities, events, work, ministries, and so on we can tend to make opening up our homes to others less of a priority. I was watching a short video the other day on words that people don't really use any more and one of them was the word "company", as in "we are having company come over". It talked about how people are just so busy and so much to themselves these days that having company over is becoming obsolete. I find this so very sad and troubling.
In Romans 12 Paul writes a list of reminders of how we should live, how we should use our gifts, talents, resources, time, our lives as an act of worship to the Lord. The one that stood out to me was at the end of verse 13, "Practice Hospitality". He didn't say to do it only if you had the "gift" for it. He didn't say to do it only if you could replicate a pintrest themed party. He didn't say to do it only if you had a big enough house. He didn't say to do it only if you have the time. He didn't say to do it only if you were a fabulous cook. No ladies and gentlemen he said to "PRACTICE" it. The definition of practice is as follows, "perform (an activity) repeatedly or regularly in order to improve or maintain one's proficiency." We are to regularly practice opening up our homes to others and in the process we will become proficient at it.
I don't think Paul was listing this for those who simply had a passion for it, to include them in this list. No. I believe this was a call to all of us who call ourselves children of God. Christ invites us all to fellowship with him at his table. His desire is for us to draw near to him so that he can draw near to us. Practicing Hospitality is a call to worship, it is opportunity invite people in just as Christ does and to love them where they are, to fellowship with them, to let them draw near to us so that we can draw near to them. To practice hospitality opens up, not just the door of our home but, the doors of our hearts to love others, the doors of our ears to listen and hear others, the door of opportunity to know how we can be there for others. If we want to put into practice the things Paul lists in Romans 12 then Practicing Hospitality is the perfect avenue to do so. If we are too busy to Practice Hospitality then we are too busy and we won't be successful at any of these things Paul lists. Everyone can Practice Hospitality. EVERYONE!!! The more we Practice the better we get at it and God is Glorified and Worshiped more and more in our lives.
Don't make excuses. My parents are in their 70's and 80's and they have not stopped Practicing Hospitality. They moved recently to a senior community and one of the first things they did was open their home to their new neighbors for dinner. It doesn't take much to start Practicing. So what are you waiting for??? Put aside the excuses or fears, clear some time on your calendar and invite someone today!!! Let's all make Practicing Hospitality the priority it should be.
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