Tips for Practicing Biblical Hospitality Regularly
The Bible reminds us over and over to show hospitality. Here are 15 tips for making hospitality a regular rhythm:
Spread your cleaning routine into small, sustainable, daily tasks (or maybe up to 6x weekly if you’re led to leave the Sabbath as a no-clean day!) to minimize the stress of one big deep-clean every time people come over.
Remember – people are more likely to feel grateful for the invitation than to fixate on what you think is a messy home. And if they get caught up in the presentation of your place or the food, that’s an issue with their heart, not yours.
Consider opportunities to bring hospitality to others if you’re not in a place to have others over very often.
Keep things simple. Maybe you aren’t able to have a group over for a meal. What about inviting someone over for coffee and tea? Jesus fed crowds of over 4000 and 5000 with just loaves and fishes.
If planning ahead, break down what needs to be done into small steps and distribute them across the week leading up to your gathering.
Lean on tried and true recipes that you’re familiar with making.
Consider hands-off recipes (like a sheet pan meal or crock pot dish) that you can prepare in advance, allowing you to be present when people are over instead of being busy in the kitchen the entire time.
If it’s in your means, outsource by getting some pre-made foods from the grocery store.
Practice delegating tasks to your family members, things they’re capable of doing, and ask them in advance so they have heads-up.
Go potluck-style or share requests when your guests ask if they can bring something, especially if you’re anticipating a larger group. Most people don’t want to show up empty-handed and actually want to contribute to the gathering!
Start by inviting people you know well. As you get more comfortable, reach out to people you don’t know as well. The Bible commands us to welcome one another, including strangers.
Make large batches and freeze the excess so you always have something to go to when spontaneous opportunities to show your love arise.
Create a timeline for the day people come over – divide your tasks up over the hours before they arrive so you don’t feel rushed when they’re at your door.
Think of 3 conversation topics you can bring up if you’re nervous about welcoming people over. What’s been happening in their lives? What area of their childhood or past are you curious about? What do they hope and dream for? This may help you care for them more personally and sensitively when they’re over!
Don’t forget to pray – before, during, and after your gathering. Always give all the thanks to God.
“Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” 1 Peter 4:9
“Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” Romans 12:13
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Hebrews 13:2
Like this content? Hannah is a pediatric dietitian who cares about equipping families with knowledge and strategies to support healthy lifestyles and positive relationships with food throughout childhood and adolescence.
In a world where everybody seems to have an opinion on how to look, what to eat, and ways to exercise, balancing body acceptance and stewardship can feel like a dizzying burden, but the Maker of human bodies and food has already provided unchanging, infallible instructions to navigate these areas and live an abundant life!
Hannah’s full, self-paced course, is available online now: https://themakerstable.thinkific.com/courses/aseatatthetable. The heart behind this self-guided course is to equip Christians with a biblically-grounded, evidence-based approach towards navigating body acceptance and body stewardship, all for the glory of God.
Hannah Cai 