Showing Hospitality

I'm a Christian fiction reader.  I have a few authors I read as favorites and truly enjoy reading their stories over and over again.  The characters become friends and the stories weave in and out in a slightly unreal, but full of life, way.

I'm currently about half way through one of these books.  The pastor of the small church is teaching on hospitality.  One of the characters has some commitments that keep her from showing hospitality, but she wants to be an obedient follower of Christ and works to do as much as she can. 

For some reason today, this particular part of the story arrested my attention.  How often do I show hospitality?  How often does my group of friends assume everyone coming to an event should bring something?  Is it cultural?  Financial?  Are we trying to make everyone feel a part?

How often do I feel conviction and instead of focusing on the feeling, I actually focus on changing?  I know it's not as often as I should.

I enjoy showing hospitality, but I have learned that it makes people uncomfortable.  They want to bring a bottle of wine or the dessert or "no big deal, I just threw the salad together." 

Is this hospitality?

I looked up some verses in Scripture that talk about the command to show hospitality.
These verses are from I Peter 4.

7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.


I want to be obedient in this.  I want to show hospitality.