Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms."¹

In her book, Open Heart, Open Home, author Karen Mains "distinguishes between hospitality and entertaining. Entertaining says, 'I want to impress you with my home, my clever decorating, and my cooking.' Hospitality, seeking to minister, says, 'This home is a gift from my Master. I use it as he desires.' Hospitality aims to serve.

"Entertaining puts things before people. 'As soon as I get the house finished, the living room decorated, my house cleaning doneâ€"then I will start inviting people.' Hospitality puts people first. 'No furnitureâ€"we'll eat on the floor! The decorating may never get doneâ€"you come anyway. The house is a messâ€"but you are friendsâ€"come home with us.'"²

Because where we live is reasonably close to the Mexican border many of the streets and places in our town have Spanish names, so we have named our house: "Casa de Bendición" (House of Blessing). Our constant prayer is that God will use our home to be a house of blessing "and of hospitality" to all who enter, and that he will use us to be as Jesus to everyone who does. May he use your home to be a house of blessing and hospitality too.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for the home that you have given to us especially when there are so many who don't even have a home. We dedicate our home and our lives to you. Please make our home a house of blessing and true hospitality, and use us to be as Jesus to all who enter in. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. 1 Peter 4:8-10 (NIV).
2. Cited on http://www.esermons.com/.

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