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Can you do Biblical hospitality with young children? How? What does it look like? Is it even possible?
This is probably one of my favorite topics to discuss and one that I’m super passionate about. Hospitality has been one of the biggest influences in deepening my faith and continues to shape our family culture.
Every time I think on this topic, my mind runs to Jesus and His ultimate and perfect sacrifice for us. He left fellowship with His Father in Heaven to serve on earth for 33 years and then went to die on a cross for us.
What an example we have of loving one another, being abundantly generous, & hospitable to the unbeliever.
Biblical hospitality
Let’s define our terms before we dig into this topic. What is biblical hospitality?
There is no specific detailed definition of biblical hospitality, which I love.
We have biblical principles and scripture to guide us and then we get to be creative with how we showcase that hospitality based on our specific family circumstances.
Let me share with you a few of those biblical principles and scripture to set us up for having a hospitable home!
Biblical principles & scripture
First, in the OT, we see examples from Abraham, Lot, & Manoah zealously greeting strangers and inviting them into their homes, washing their feet, & offering food. See Genesis 18 and 19 for Lot and Abraham
Second, in the NT, we read from apostle Paul and the writer of Hebrews that marks of a true Christian are hospitality to our brothers in Christ. This is a commandment from the Lord.
Hospitality is also a requirement of an elder or overseer in the local church. See Romans 12:13, Titus 1:8, 1 Timothy 3:2
There is also a sense of a hospitable heart. Anyone can invite someone into their home, give them a hot meal, & be courteous, but this kind of generosity comes from a heart transformed by the Gospel.
I think there’s a difference between entertaining and being hospitable. This is where our love for Christ and our willingness to share our messy and kid crazy homes is so crucial to showing the fullness of the Gospel.
Here’s a few tips and encouragement when doing hospitality with young children:
Keep. It. Simple.
I mean everything, keep everything simple. If you’re serving food, the frozen section, crockpot meals, premade baked goods are your best friends.
I’m not saying never do anything homemade, because homemade is always better, but for your sanity it’s okay to do store bought.
If you’re having people in your home, I’d say at least make it sanitary, like no dirty diapers and/or food on the floor, throw away used wipes, etc. I think you get the idea.
There’s no absolute need to mop, dust, clean the baseboards, etc. before your guests arrive. We have friends, who had 5 children at the time, and almost every time we went into their house it was never tidy.
There were toys everywhere and snacks on the table, but I remember her smiling and saying, “We try to keep it sanitary”. I loved that! A house with children will never be totally clean and we sort of miss the point of inviting people into our very real lives.
My point is, your willingness and your love for the other person speaks more volumes than what you bring, serve, and/or clean.
FYI, we were invited to their house about two to three times a week and we loved it and they loved us.
Invite them in.
We speak of being hospitable to our neighbors or fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, but we MUST remember to be hospitable towards are children.
We must bring them into the process of serving, giving, & making for others. One way I love to let the kids help is by getting precut cookies or those muffin mix packs and let the kids help with those.
I don’t know about y’all, but it’s hard to share my kitchen with a 4 and 2 year old. However, this is how they learn.
I give them tasks to do, and they try to follow through. Yes, it’ll be messy, but not always.
Yes, it’ll take more time, but not always. Pray for patience for yourself and give plenty of time for the task.
Do what is best for your family
Okay, so I have many friends with small children, like multiple kids under the age of 5. Many of my friends can have a home cooked meal, a decently clean house, & still have a good attitude by the time people step inside their home.
This is not me. Everyone has different energy levels, different children, different homes, & different circumstances. Please do not compare how you and your family do hospitality to someone else’s.
We just moved to Texas almost 2 years ago and I have a friend who has a meal or a homemade baked good every time someone comes into her home. I thought, “Wow! How welcoming and loving for her to do that.
Maybe this should be my expectation.” Absolutely not. Now, all her children are older and she was raised this way. I was not raised this way and nor do I have the time and energy to do that.
For me, I would offer things from my fridge or pantry and that’s perfectly fine. As long as I am ready to listen and be hospitable, then I’m ready.
There’s so much more to say here about being hospitable and more ways to be hospitable with small children, but I want us to remember the biggest hospitable gesture.
Our Savior Jesus Christ sacrificing and resurrecting to save us from our sins. The overflow of our faith is hospitality, we do this because He first loved us.
Thanks for reading! If you’d like more resources, check out The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield for more encouragement and practical tips with being hospitable!
Please share in the comments more tips or nuggets of wisdom. I do not claim to know all the things or pretend to have all the answers. Please share!