9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 1 Peter 4:9

You have to wonder why Peter wrote this. Were people complaining about inviting people over all the time? During that time period, Christian travelers would not be able to find lodging so they depended on other Christians to house them. Otherwise, Christians would be forced to stay in entertainment establishments and open themselves to a variety of temptations (see Pulpit Commentary)

Even today, hospitality doesn’t come easy. We in the West value our privacy and are reluctant to host others, both inside and outside the church.

As a single Christian many years ago, the Costellos took me into their homes every Sunday afternoon. They had three boys of their own, but they invited many of the single guys from Church to just hang out and eat with them. Nothing formal. No set agenda. They didn’t ask for anything in return. It was just a nice gesture. I’m glad they did because it helped reinforce my new Christian beliefs. And I don’t recall any of them grumbling about it. They modeled this verse perfectly.

It only takes one invite to get the ball rolling. What say you?