by Julie Purswell
Has this ever happened to you?
Someone does not return a phone call, or perhaps an email, in what you consider a timely manner. The wheels of your mind begin to turn: “If someone else had called or written—someone she considers important—she would have responded immediately. She obviously doesn’t consider me important . . . she doesn’t consider my stuff a priority . . . she doesn’t consider me a friend” Or perhaps you go down another path: “Something’s wrong . . . she must be mad at me! I wonder if …”—and your mind creates various scenarios that validate your suspicions.
OR,
Your husband gives you a compliment. His words are full of affection and admiration. And so you think, “He doesn’t really mean it. He must want something. He probably just wants to make love.”
OR,
You hear yelling/screaming/crying from the area where your children are playing. You begin to stew at your oldest child: “He’s grabbed his brother’s toy again, that bully! He always teases his brother!” And you proceed to run to the room yelling at the “culprit” before asking any questions.
OR,
Your husband arrives home from work late—again. Your assumptions kick in: “He’s always late; probably doing email again, or sitting around talking. Why doesn’t he think about me, and how his lateness is affecting my schedule or our family?”
Well, I hope you get the idea. Each of these scenarios depict ground we can so often tread: the path of sinful judgment. Unfortunately, all of these examples are taken from my own life, and I’m guessing you could probably come up with a few examples yourself. Over the next few blog posts, I’ve been asked to share with you some of my journey in seeking to put to death the sin of uncharitable (sinful) judgment. Though I don’t assume you are as familiar with this sin as I am, unfortunately as pastors’ wives you will be the recipient of someone else’s sinful judgment along the way. I pray these posts will help you to glorify God when those occasions arise and help you to guard your own heart from this insidious sin.
Of course, the first step to seeing any sin weakened and mortified in our lives is to recognize it for what it is. So what is sinful judgment?
In his excellent book, Charity and Its Fruits, Jonathan Edwards defines sinful (uncharitable) judgment as “a disposition to think evil of others, or to judge evil of them, with respect to three things: their state, their qualities, and their actions.” This “disposition” can take many forms. Here’s a few I’m familiar with:
Hasty judging: Condemning others before the facts are known.
Scripture addresses this tendency in stark terms: “He that answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame unto him” (Prov. 18:13).
This can happen so quickly that we’re completely unaware of it. Bill Hill, Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church in Brevard, NC diagnoses what transpires with such “hasty” or premature judgments:
We perceive or observe and register data (someone’s words, tones, actions, etc.);
We then interpret that data regarding the meaning of certain words and actions and even determine, in many cases, the motives for each;
We proceed to form a judgment and attitude based on our interpretation of the data;
We then respond (through our actions, speech, thought patterns) based on our judgment.
Ladies, all of this can happen in minutes or it may unfold over days. With those closest to us, it usually happens in moments. We instantly jump to conclusions, zooming ahead, making authoritative judgments before we have gathered all the facts.
Hypocritical judging: Condemning others for something you do yourself.
According to Jesus, not only is this wrong, but our hypocrisy blinds us from viewing others accurately: “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” (Matt. 7:3-5)
Mr. Edwards has again been very helpful to me: “If we were humbly sensible of our own failings, we would not be very eager or pleased in judging others. We all have the same kinds of corruption in our hearts. If we will but look to our own selves, we will see those same things, or perhaps something as much deserving of censure.”
Presumptuous judging: Condemning someone on the basis of unconfirmed rumors.
How do you respond when you hear unflattering reports of others? This kind of judging flows from a heart that is inclined to believe the worst. It receives slander; it feeds on rumor; and it rarely considers there’s more to the story.
The recent presidential campaign seemed almost calculated to elicit this sort of judgment from our hearts, as we were barraged by campaigns to discredit an opponent through rumors and stories crafted to create wonderings, doubt, and mistrust. Some could be substantiated, but many were simply rumors. How I wish media messages carried the following warning: “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” (Prov. 18:17).
Unfair judging: Ignoring everything that is favorable about someone and not giving a fair hearing to them.
This often characterizes the bitter person. When I am bitter, everything I see reinforces my negative perceptions.
Unnecessary judging: Condemning someone for something the Scriptures are silent about. There are many practices that are simply cultural rather than biblical in their basis. It is wise and loving to determine which is which. Romans 14 also gives us direction in this area.
Unmerciful judging: Imposing exacting standards upon the actions of others.
Those who demand perfection from others while they tolerate imperfection in themselves will be guilty of unmerciful judgment. I relate to others as a merciless judge. Scripture has little mercy itself for this kind of attitude: “For the man who has had no mercy (toward others) will be judged without mercy, but mercy takes pride in overcoming judging.” (James 2:13, The Bible in Basic English). However, rich promises await those who are merciful: "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.” (Luke 6:37)
The final category is the one I’m most familiar with:
Arrogant Judging: Assuming I know the thoughts and motivations of others.
In some of the other categories, I draw conclusions based on “evidence” (however wrong), but here I don’t need evidence—I KNOW what’s in another’s heart! I then proceed to relate to the person based on those judgments. Sadly in my own life, this type of judging so often stems from a preoccupation with myself.
For much of our marriage, I lived with the thought that the only reason people invited me anywhere is because of my husband Jeff. He was the one they liked and wanted to be with; at best they tolerated me. They were not interested in my opinions or desirous of my contributions, only his. I might as well be invisible! As a result, I would withdraw from others. Rather than reaching out to them or engaging them, I would avoid them.
I was ruining what could have been sweet fellowship with others—all because of a “feeling.” And what’s so deceptive is that these feelings can seem so true, so real (especially when we know the other person well)—“I know that’s what they think and no one can convince me otherwise.” In my arrogance, this feeling was as real and true as Scripture.
Upon reflection, what this really exposed were the cravings of my own heart. I was more interested in how others were loving me than how I was loving them. I wasn’t concerned with God’s glory, but my own.
Perhaps you see yourself in one of these categories. For me, they’re helpful in identifying with precision the kinds of things that go on in my heart. And when I see those things clearly, then I’m in a better position to put them to death by God’s grace. Next time, we’ll talk about doing just that.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
The Reliable Pastor's Wife
by Nicole Whitacre
What did you do yesterday morning? Let me guess: Was it pretty much the same as last Sunday and the one before that? I thought so.
Maybe you prepped food and house for afternoon hospitality, ironed your husband’s pants and prayed for his sermon, got yourself and the kids ready, drove the family to church by yourself (barely making it in time) and only heard half the sermon in the nursing mom’s room.
Or perhaps you drove your teenagers early to the meeting to serve, helped your husband come up with a last minute sermon illustration, greeted newcomers before church and stayed late to pray and counsel. Then you cared for an exhausted (and maybe even discouraged) husband all afternoon.
Or, maybe you were home with sick kids…for the third week in a row.
Just another ordinary Sunday in the life of a pastor’s wife. But in the upside-down world of Scripture, the ordinary is extraordinary. Consider these words from Proverbs 31:11:
“The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.”
This verse is “remarkable” insists author Bruce Waltke, and he explains why:
Remarkable indeed! Our “reliability” can be the God-ordained bedrock of our husband’s well-being. Reminds me of the pastor who thanked his wife for serving him for over twenty years of Sundays—alone with the kids and without complaint. That’s godly reliability a husband’s heart can trust in. That’s reliability I want to imitate.
As Scripture sees it, a God-fearing wife’s “valiant” faithfulness constitutes “the highest level of spiritual and physical competence.” This ennobles all those mundane tasks of wifely service: the laundry, the ironing, the grocery shopping, the cooking, the bargain hunting, the budgeting, the hospitality, the counseling, the faithful encouragement, the gracious correction, the consistent affection, the God-given wisdom. It encourages us to persevere, so that through “strategy, timely strength, and risk in this fallen world” our husband has no lack of gain.
Of course this task is not only noble and inspiring but daunting. That’s why we must rely on the only Reliable One: Almighty God. We must look to His Son whose reliable righteousness answers for all our failures. We must rely on the Holy Spirit’s perfect power for our weakness. We must trust in the gracious promises of our Heavenly Father which never fail.
That’s reliability a pastor’s wife’s heart can trust in.
What did you do yesterday morning? Let me guess: Was it pretty much the same as last Sunday and the one before that? I thought so.
Maybe you prepped food and house for afternoon hospitality, ironed your husband’s pants and prayed for his sermon, got yourself and the kids ready, drove the family to church by yourself (barely making it in time) and only heard half the sermon in the nursing mom’s room.
Or perhaps you drove your teenagers early to the meeting to serve, helped your husband come up with a last minute sermon illustration, greeted newcomers before church and stayed late to pray and counsel. Then you cared for an exhausted (and maybe even discouraged) husband all afternoon.
Or, maybe you were home with sick kids…for the third week in a row.
Just another ordinary Sunday in the life of a pastor’s wife. But in the upside-down world of Scripture, the ordinary is extraordinary. Consider these words from Proverbs 31:11:
“The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.”
This verse is “remarkable” insists author Bruce Waltke, and he explains why:
“The statement, his heart trusts in her, which entails that his well-being stands or falls on her reliability, is remarkable. Outside of this text and Judg. 20:36, Scripture condemns trust in anyone or anything apart from God/the LORD…The present exception elevates the valiant wife, who herself fears the LORD, to the highest level of spiritual and physical competence. … Verse B presents the cause of his trust: he does not lack anything necessary. The surprising object, spoil, a military metaphor, implies that the woman has to win essentials like food and clothing through strategy, timely strength, and risk in this fallen world.”.
—Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs: Chapters 15-31 (Eerdmans 2005), pp. 521-522 (HT: Tony Reinke)
Remarkable indeed! Our “reliability” can be the God-ordained bedrock of our husband’s well-being. Reminds me of the pastor who thanked his wife for serving him for over twenty years of Sundays—alone with the kids and without complaint. That’s godly reliability a husband’s heart can trust in. That’s reliability I want to imitate.
As Scripture sees it, a God-fearing wife’s “valiant” faithfulness constitutes “the highest level of spiritual and physical competence.” This ennobles all those mundane tasks of wifely service: the laundry, the ironing, the grocery shopping, the cooking, the bargain hunting, the budgeting, the hospitality, the counseling, the faithful encouragement, the gracious correction, the consistent affection, the God-given wisdom. It encourages us to persevere, so that through “strategy, timely strength, and risk in this fallen world” our husband has no lack of gain.
Of course this task is not only noble and inspiring but daunting. That’s why we must rely on the only Reliable One: Almighty God. We must look to His Son whose reliable righteousness answers for all our failures. We must rely on the Holy Spirit’s perfect power for our weakness. We must trust in the gracious promises of our Heavenly Father which never fail.
That’s reliability a pastor’s wife’s heart can trust in.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Hospitality in the Church Lobby?
by Trish Donahue
I know. I questioned it too. I always thought hospitality had everything to do with the home. Isn’t hospitality all about cleaning the house, getting my humble snacks in a basket that makes them look gourmet, and opening the door with a sparkling smile? (I am visualizing the Crest advertisement right now.)
Anyway, as a new pastor’s wife I figured that I could conquer the hospitality thing at home and not worry about it anywhere else, especially in the church lobby. I had my hands full in the lobby anyway. A stroller (with a wheel that spontaneously popped off), little kids, and lobby gridlock worthy of Times Square were enough for me. Survival in getting everyone from Children’s Ministry to the coat rack with a smile, or at least not a breakdown, was my main goal. If I coincidentally got into a good conversation along that crazy path, then great! If not, then let’s get out of here. I’m hungry.
If you’re nodding your head in silent solidarity, then I have enlightening news for you. There is more to the church lobby than survival. It’s shocking, I know. My first piece of advice is to buy a new stroller, my second is to have lunch with Kimm Harvey. If you feel like that would be a bit forward, then I’ll introduce you right here.
Most of you know Kimm, but you may not know that one of her signature messages is how we can significantly contribute to our husbands’ ministries by reaching out to church members. In essence, she’s encouraging us to show hospitality to those who enter the doors of our church. I’ve had the benefit of watching her example and hearing her wisdom on this issue for years, so I’ll share with you two key points I am still learning from her.
As a wife, I’m the “face” of my husband’s ministry.
Our husbands can only be so many places at once after the service. If it’s in the middle of a lengthy conversation with a discouraged person, then he isn’t going to get to many people that morning. We, on the other hand, and our entourage of kids and bags and coats, are right in the center of the people of God. We’re heading down the middle of Main Street. Our simple smiles and hugs and questions and introductions are backing up our husband’s message of care and love for the church. People see our care and connect it with him, and in this way, we’re the “face” of his ministry.
Sunday mornings are strategic!
If you’re like me, you get excited about the idea of meeting with people, discipling people, and inviting people over—lots of people. This inspiration usually comes while peacefully gazing a few feet above my Outlook calendar. When my gaze drops to that text-heavy screen, the heart palpitations begin and inspiration runs for its life. How do I fit everything in!
The beauty of Sunday mornings is that they’re designed to bring the church together. If we come with a mental list of people we want to chat with and questions we want to ask them, we can connect very meaningfully with a lot of people, and all without adding another meeting to the calendar. A bit of purposeful planning on the way to church can go a long way in caring for the family of God.
Kimm has many more insights on this, but if you’re coming out of Sunday Survival Mode like I am, these two points will help get you off to a good start, and you may even find yourself meandering off into the crowds!
And one more side benefit: You get to show hospitality and not be in charge of snacks or open the door! (Unless you’ve just planted a church, in which case I profoundly apologize as I’m sure you ARE in charge of snacks, opening doors, and cleaning the bathrooms.) God loves to use us, and whether we’re one of 20 pastors’ wives, or one of one, He has prepared good works in advance for us to do, and we find the majority of them as we walk joyfully into his people.
I know. I questioned it too. I always thought hospitality had everything to do with the home. Isn’t hospitality all about cleaning the house, getting my humble snacks in a basket that makes them look gourmet, and opening the door with a sparkling smile? (I am visualizing the Crest advertisement right now.)
Anyway, as a new pastor’s wife I figured that I could conquer the hospitality thing at home and not worry about it anywhere else, especially in the church lobby. I had my hands full in the lobby anyway. A stroller (with a wheel that spontaneously popped off), little kids, and lobby gridlock worthy of Times Square were enough for me. Survival in getting everyone from Children’s Ministry to the coat rack with a smile, or at least not a breakdown, was my main goal. If I coincidentally got into a good conversation along that crazy path, then great! If not, then let’s get out of here. I’m hungry.
If you’re nodding your head in silent solidarity, then I have enlightening news for you. There is more to the church lobby than survival. It’s shocking, I know. My first piece of advice is to buy a new stroller, my second is to have lunch with Kimm Harvey. If you feel like that would be a bit forward, then I’ll introduce you right here.
Most of you know Kimm, but you may not know that one of her signature messages is how we can significantly contribute to our husbands’ ministries by reaching out to church members. In essence, she’s encouraging us to show hospitality to those who enter the doors of our church. I’ve had the benefit of watching her example and hearing her wisdom on this issue for years, so I’ll share with you two key points I am still learning from her.
As a wife, I’m the “face” of my husband’s ministry.
Our husbands can only be so many places at once after the service. If it’s in the middle of a lengthy conversation with a discouraged person, then he isn’t going to get to many people that morning. We, on the other hand, and our entourage of kids and bags and coats, are right in the center of the people of God. We’re heading down the middle of Main Street. Our simple smiles and hugs and questions and introductions are backing up our husband’s message of care and love for the church. People see our care and connect it with him, and in this way, we’re the “face” of his ministry.
Sunday mornings are strategic!
If you’re like me, you get excited about the idea of meeting with people, discipling people, and inviting people over—lots of people. This inspiration usually comes while peacefully gazing a few feet above my Outlook calendar. When my gaze drops to that text-heavy screen, the heart palpitations begin and inspiration runs for its life. How do I fit everything in!
The beauty of Sunday mornings is that they’re designed to bring the church together. If we come with a mental list of people we want to chat with and questions we want to ask them, we can connect very meaningfully with a lot of people, and all without adding another meeting to the calendar. A bit of purposeful planning on the way to church can go a long way in caring for the family of God.
Kimm has many more insights on this, but if you’re coming out of Sunday Survival Mode like I am, these two points will help get you off to a good start, and you may even find yourself meandering off into the crowds!
And one more side benefit: You get to show hospitality and not be in charge of snacks or open the door! (Unless you’ve just planted a church, in which case I profoundly apologize as I’m sure you ARE in charge of snacks, opening doors, and cleaning the bathrooms.) God loves to use us, and whether we’re one of 20 pastors’ wives, or one of one, He has prepared good works in advance for us to do, and we find the majority of them as we walk joyfully into his people.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Hospitality with Young Children
by Tara Daukas
I enjoy hospitality. And I enjoy my young children. But it takes work to enjoy hospitality while having young children. Do the two really go together? Gone are the days of carefree cleaning and complicated meals. Now I’m apologizing to my guests for the cake that has a small bite in its side - a small boy snuck in an early, unapproved taste! Or come a little early and one might hear me remind my three year old that "No, it's not your birthday, and no you may not blow out the nice scented candle to make a wish!"
Recently, my husband and I have had the joy of planting a new church in Peoria, AZ. There’s no escaping hospitality when you’re hosting a 50+ church each week! Over the summer, I watched relationships and community grow, our church family pray together, worship together, take communion together and all in the presence of our home! It was truly my greatest joy to host Grace Church. But it took work. I could no longer hide things in my master bedroom because every room in our house got used. I had to learn to juggle the responsibilities of hosting while still being a mom to three young children. Most importantly, I had to carefully watch my heart for the signs of misplaced worship! In order to be ready for Sundays, I had to begin working backwards. Sundays don't start on Sundays - they begin with well thought out preparation throughout the week
1. Work backwards with house work
Recently, while our house was on the market my mother would come over and sit with the kids in the car while I, like a mad woman, would run around making our house look like kids did not live there. It worked and served it’s purpose but I think it’s important to remember that’s not the goal with hospitality. Preparing for hospitality doesn’t mean you make it look like you don’t live in your house. I’m not saying I don't move the sippy cup of spoiled milk off my couch as I invite a guest to sit down. But my goal is not perfection it’s faithfulness. Knowing a big group was coming on Sunday I would plan out my housework accordingly. For example I would begin Thursday with my laundry and have it put away by the end of Friday. I would clean & organize our bedrooms that got used for Children’s Ministry on Saturday as well as all the bathrooms but one, leaving that last one for a quick clean on Sunday. Depending on how much of your house gets used you can adjust this thought to fit your own schedule. I find not saving everything for an hour before our guests come is the best way to keep peace in my soul & for my children.
2. Work backwards preparing my children’s heart
Moms - you know how it works. All seems well in your house until you get on the phone, and then out of nowhere kids start screaming like the house is on fire! I have found it extremely helpful to prepare my kids hearts for guests coming to prevent that phone phenomena from happening. We’ll begin talking about the guests that are coming the day before. We’d talk about their toys (which are really not “their” toys at all) that will be used by other kids. I’ll teach them that when guests are over we need to seek to serve. I found their excitement grew in hosting after a few weeks of doing this. They’d want to make cards for their friends coming over and were the first to offer up sharing their special toys. Each kid was given special assignments to help prepare the house for church. It’s amazing how entertaining a Clorox bleach wipe is for a 3 yr old. My counters have never been so clean!
3. Work backwards preparing my own heart
Oh how easy hospitality with young children would be if I was Mary Poppins – practically perfect in every way! But inevitably, there’s always some situation that comes up where I’m tempted to sin. Spills on the carpet, unresponsive children, temptations to loneliness that the duties of hospitality can bring – all of these are challenges. During these summer months of hosting church I’ve kept 1 John 3 in the back of my mind. “The commandments of the Lord are not burdensome”. If hospitality without complaining is a command of the Lord, then surely it’s not a burden. It’s a beautiful reflection of the gospel. Jesus, the eternal Word of God, takes on flesh and dwells among us. He offered himself to strangers repeatedly through his ministry. Finally, he died in the place of sinners, so that we could enter into a relationship with God for all eternity. If hospitality is about providing for the cares of others, Jesus has displayed it most profoundly through his work on cross. The burden comes when I take the simply beautiful picture of gospel motivated hospitality and make it about bringing glory to myself. My house, my children, my desire to look like I have it all together can drive my service. No, I must surrender my glory so that the glory of Jesus can be known. There is so much more joy in using our material goods for Him! And it keeps hospitality from becoming a burden.
Finally there are those times when you simply cannot work backwards. You get the unexpected call like I did this week. There was a death within our dear little church and the family wondered if we could host the memorial within our home. There was little time to prepare, but plenty of time to call upon God for help. That night was such a beautiful picture of the church coming together to serve, grieve and watch God pour out his abundant grace in the midst of trials. Prepared or unprepared, hospitality gives us an awesome view of God's faithfulness and we are the ones who come away blessed!
I enjoy hospitality. And I enjoy my young children. But it takes work to enjoy hospitality while having young children. Do the two really go together? Gone are the days of carefree cleaning and complicated meals. Now I’m apologizing to my guests for the cake that has a small bite in its side - a small boy snuck in an early, unapproved taste! Or come a little early and one might hear me remind my three year old that "No, it's not your birthday, and no you may not blow out the nice scented candle to make a wish!"
Recently, my husband and I have had the joy of planting a new church in Peoria, AZ. There’s no escaping hospitality when you’re hosting a 50+ church each week! Over the summer, I watched relationships and community grow, our church family pray together, worship together, take communion together and all in the presence of our home! It was truly my greatest joy to host Grace Church. But it took work. I could no longer hide things in my master bedroom because every room in our house got used. I had to learn to juggle the responsibilities of hosting while still being a mom to three young children. Most importantly, I had to carefully watch my heart for the signs of misplaced worship! In order to be ready for Sundays, I had to begin working backwards. Sundays don't start on Sundays - they begin with well thought out preparation throughout the week
1. Work backwards with house work
Recently, while our house was on the market my mother would come over and sit with the kids in the car while I, like a mad woman, would run around making our house look like kids did not live there. It worked and served it’s purpose but I think it’s important to remember that’s not the goal with hospitality. Preparing for hospitality doesn’t mean you make it look like you don’t live in your house. I’m not saying I don't move the sippy cup of spoiled milk off my couch as I invite a guest to sit down. But my goal is not perfection it’s faithfulness. Knowing a big group was coming on Sunday I would plan out my housework accordingly. For example I would begin Thursday with my laundry and have it put away by the end of Friday. I would clean & organize our bedrooms that got used for Children’s Ministry on Saturday as well as all the bathrooms but one, leaving that last one for a quick clean on Sunday. Depending on how much of your house gets used you can adjust this thought to fit your own schedule. I find not saving everything for an hour before our guests come is the best way to keep peace in my soul & for my children.
2. Work backwards preparing my children’s heart
Moms - you know how it works. All seems well in your house until you get on the phone, and then out of nowhere kids start screaming like the house is on fire! I have found it extremely helpful to prepare my kids hearts for guests coming to prevent that phone phenomena from happening. We’ll begin talking about the guests that are coming the day before. We’d talk about their toys (which are really not “their” toys at all) that will be used by other kids. I’ll teach them that when guests are over we need to seek to serve. I found their excitement grew in hosting after a few weeks of doing this. They’d want to make cards for their friends coming over and were the first to offer up sharing their special toys. Each kid was given special assignments to help prepare the house for church. It’s amazing how entertaining a Clorox bleach wipe is for a 3 yr old. My counters have never been so clean!
3. Work backwards preparing my own heart
Oh how easy hospitality with young children would be if I was Mary Poppins – practically perfect in every way! But inevitably, there’s always some situation that comes up where I’m tempted to sin. Spills on the carpet, unresponsive children, temptations to loneliness that the duties of hospitality can bring – all of these are challenges. During these summer months of hosting church I’ve kept 1 John 3 in the back of my mind. “The commandments of the Lord are not burdensome”. If hospitality without complaining is a command of the Lord, then surely it’s not a burden. It’s a beautiful reflection of the gospel. Jesus, the eternal Word of God, takes on flesh and dwells among us. He offered himself to strangers repeatedly through his ministry. Finally, he died in the place of sinners, so that we could enter into a relationship with God for all eternity. If hospitality is about providing for the cares of others, Jesus has displayed it most profoundly through his work on cross. The burden comes when I take the simply beautiful picture of gospel motivated hospitality and make it about bringing glory to myself. My house, my children, my desire to look like I have it all together can drive my service. No, I must surrender my glory so that the glory of Jesus can be known. There is so much more joy in using our material goods for Him! And it keeps hospitality from becoming a burden.
Finally there are those times when you simply cannot work backwards. You get the unexpected call like I did this week. There was a death within our dear little church and the family wondered if we could host the memorial within our home. There was little time to prepare, but plenty of time to call upon God for help. That night was such a beautiful picture of the church coming together to serve, grieve and watch God pour out his abundant grace in the midst of trials. Prepared or unprepared, hospitality gives us an awesome view of God's faithfulness and we are the ones who come away blessed!
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