Do either charity
or hospitality have any part in living intentionally as a faithful steward?
For me, being charitable comes more easily than being hospitable. Kindness, warmth, empathy and encouragement all come to mind and action easily when meeting people. When the opportunity to "entertain a stranger" comes along, my inclination is to be friendly and encouraging but I'm not sure I'm hospitable.
God's abundance is sufficient for all things, including interactions with others. By definition, to be hospitable is to be charitable, generous and sustaining of a friendly environment. For me the question becomes how much time and energy am I willing to invest to create the sustaining environment? Do I trust God enough to provide the time and resources to be hospitable in such a way that God would be pleased?
Stewardship is so much more than what I give from my checkbook—that is the minimum, the easy part. Let's learn hospitality and not settle for charity.
For me, being charitable comes more easily than being hospitable. Kindness, warmth, empathy and encouragement all come to mind and action easily when meeting people. When the opportunity to "entertain a stranger" comes along, my inclination is to be friendly and encouraging but I'm not sure I'm hospitable.
God's abundance is sufficient for all things, including interactions with others. By definition, to be hospitable is to be charitable, generous and sustaining of a friendly environment. For me the question becomes how much time and energy am I willing to invest to create the sustaining environment? Do I trust God enough to provide the time and resources to be hospitable in such a way that God would be pleased?
Stewardship is so much more than what I give from my checkbook—that is the minimum, the easy part. Let's learn hospitality and not settle for charity.
