Issue #103, April 9, 2013
The next instruction Paul gives young Timothy about the type of leaders who are worthy to be called servant leaders is "hospitable" (1 Timothy 3:2). To be hospitable is to be friendly and welcoming to strangers or guests. What in the world does what happens at home have to do with leadership? Paul recognizes that hospitality reveals at least three things in the heart of a leader, each of which is essential for servant leaders.
Hospitality displays a willingness to be transparent.
Inviting someone to your home is a risky act of vulnerability! The moment you open your door to a guest and invite them into your home, they learn to know you on a much deeper level than they ever will in public. They will observe the way that you interact with your wife and children. They will notice what books and magazines you read. They will get a sense of your values as they interact with you at home. If you are not willing to be transparent, limit your leadership to the office or public arena! It's much easier to hide who you really are in public than at home.
Hospitality demonstrates a heart of service.
Hospitality is a lot of work! Even if it is only a simple meal, hospitality involves preparation, cleaning, washing dishes, and then focusing on the needs and desires of the visitors. If your visitors stay in your home overnight or for a longer period of time, hospitality may involve moving children around to make room for the visitors, preparing beds, changing your morning schedule and cleaning after they leave. If you don't have the heart of a servant, don't bring people home! It's much easier to meet them in a restaurant or café and have a meal together.
Hospitality discloses a spirit of generosity.
Hospitality is costly. It will cost you the time that it takes to prepare, entertain, and serve. It will also cost money, likely spending more for food to prepare a special meal or at least sharing what you have. Generosity is not so much a matter of how much you possess but how much you are willing to release. Some of the most generous people I know have very little materially, but are rich in generosity and they express it by sharing freely what they have. If you're not willing to share, don't invite people to your home! It's much easier to keep than to give.
A biblical example of a servant leader who demonstrated hospitality is the account of Simon, the Tanner. Luke records the story of how this worker in a despised vocation hosted the apostle Peter in his home for "many days" (Acts 9:43). We have no idea how many meals were served to Peter during this time, but we do know that he not only enjoyed the bedroom and the kitchen of Simon the Tanner, but he also had access to the roof where he went to pray. What is more, one day three total strangers showed up and Peter, himself a guest, invited them in for the night! Another meal and three more beds! (How would you respond to that kind of a guest?) We know nothing else of Simon's faith, leadership, or academic credentials. But when he opened his door to Peter, God opened the door of faith to the Gentile world! Simon passed the quality checklist for a servant leader because of his hospitality. Peter was likely remembering him when he wrote later, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling” (1 Peter 4:9). How do you rate in this hidden area of leadership? Take some time to reflect on the questions below….and invite someone to your home today!
For further reflection and discussion:
- When is the last time you invited someone to your home for a meal? To spend the night? Do you find hospitality easy or difficult?
- What is the hardest for you in relation to hospitality: transparency, service or generosity? Spend a moment asking God to reveal to you what He wants to change in this area.
- How does your culture encourage or discourage hospitality? What can you do as a follower of Jesus to cultivate His culture in your home?
- Reflect on Hebrews 13:2. How is God inviting you to respond in obedience?