Just the word hospitality sounds warm, fuzzy and inviting! Hospitality says, “Welcome!”

If you’re like me, you have good intentions! You want to do right; you want to be a blessing, and you want to encourage others. Well, good intentions get us nowhere. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

2 Corinthians 9:2 ends with, “Your zeal hath provoked very many.” I want to provoke you to place on your calendar a time when you can invite some folks to your home. I guarantee you that your hospitality will provoke others too.

Hospitality is a tool the Lord uses. It makes a difference! God blesses it.

The dictionary defines hospitality as, “The friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers.”

But, hospitality is also a lot of work! Because of this, some people avoid it at any cost. It involves money, shopping, cleaning, cooking, and sacrifice. However, the investment and benefit—or the rewards of hospitality—far outweigh any work involved in it.

I was reared in a home of parents who were faithful laymen in the church. They cleaned, vacuumed, put tithe envelopes in the pews, locked up the church, and were always in their place. They invited new people into their home, hosted missionaries, and encouraged members by having them to their home. Being hospitable is not just for the pastor and his wife.

Being hospitable requires action. Step one is to pick a date on your calendar and PLAN to encourage some people by inviting them into your home for fellowship—soon!

This is part one of “Hospitality with a Purpose.” Click here to read part two, three, or four.