Hospitality

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." Matthew 25:35,36

I recently read something on the topic of hospitality. The statement that stood out to me was "The essence of hospitality: welcoming people, not entertaining or impressing them." I think we easily get hung up in the 'entertaining or impressing' mode. We even call it 'entertaining' when we have guests over to our house. Entertaining or impressing is just another way of putting on the false face. Real hospitality is just that… real.

This week let's pray about hospitality - both when we are having guests and when we are the guests. It's a key component of doing life together and therefore it's a key component of our witness and our refinement. I'll close with a quote from the book I was reading:

"Someone knocks at my door. If I am anxious or resentful, I may put on a good face, offer a cup of tea, but offer no real hospitality. The person I really am at the center of my being is unavailable… blocked by worry or the wish to control. My business, whether as host or guest, is to be as open and real as possible in any situation." Susan Mangam

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob

Listen

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry James 1:19

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

"Christians (especially ministers) so often think they must contribute something when they are in the company of others… that this is the one service they have to render. They forget that listening can be a greater service than speaking." Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"We pay attention only long enough to develop a counter-argument; we listen with an agenda, to sell or petition or seduce. Seldom is there a deep, open-hearted, unjudging reception of the other. By contrast, if someone truly listens to me, my spirit begins to expand." Mary Rose O'Reilley

This Wednesday as we fast we are praying about listening. I don't think I can really add much to what's been said above.

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob

Oh Rats!

I recently heard about a study that was done with Norwegian Rats. The researchers used a large vat of water and a spray system to simulate rain falling on the water. The control group rats were simply placed in the vat. What the researchers found was that it took an average of 17 minutes for these control group rats to drown. The test group rats were put in the same vat of water with the same rain falling on them. The difference was that these test rats were rescued from the vat just before drowning. Then they were put back in their cages and nurtured for the next few days. After a few days, these test group rats were placed back in the vat to see how long they would survive after having been rescued once. Amazingly, the average test group rat lasted 37 hours on this second trip to the vat before drowning. That's more than 130 times as long as the control group. By the way, the purpose of this study was to see if 'hope' had an impact on 'ability to survive'.

"… but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." Romans 5:3-5

The word 'hope' to the secular world has quite a different meaning from how we use it as believers. Just think about the difference between "I hope I win the lottery…" and "My hope is in the Lord…" One is based on something that you don't think will happen but you think you'll be very happy if it does and the other is based on certainty. The biblical 'hope' is a 'for sure'… it's that which keeps you going. So this Wednesday let's pray about our hope and get in touch with our hope. Our hope makes all things possible… all things bearable…

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob

The now

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14

I think I spend a lot of time in the past. And I think I do this in one of two ways that handicap my present kingdom work. The first way is regret. I can so easily live in the many failures of past decisions and actions. It's these things that keep me in neutral when God's will is urging me forward. The second way is pride. I can look back and see periods when God has done amazing things for others through me. And rather than let this spur me on to greater things in His service, I can once again shift into neutral and bask in the past glow (so to speak). But look at Paul - He is forgetting what is behind (good and bad) and being obedient now. The now is where we grow. It's what takes us out of neutral and moves us forward.

I'm not a big fan of wrote prayers but I recently heard something that Mother Theresa prayed every day - "May I truly obey You today… For up until now, I've done nothing."

So this week we are praying that we focus on now. That we free ourselves up to be slaves to His will. Like Paul, I want to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

One last quote - "Don't let yesterday consume too much of today."

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob