Whatever Is Excellent with Leanne Tuggle
Encouragement and Inspiration for women choosing to rise above the “just survive” mentality and instead set their mind on thriving in all that they say and do. The ultimate goal is to equip you to pursue whatever is excellent in the midst of your ordinary life and in all that you say and do.
Whatever Is Excellent with Leanne Tuggle
30: Impressed or Blessed - Biblical Hospitality in Your Home
What if the most powerful ministry tool you have isn't your knowledge, talent, or resources, but simply your willingness to open your front door?
This heartfelt exploration of hospitality reveals the profound difference between cultural entertaining (which seeks to impress) and biblical hospitality (which aims to bless).
Through compelling contrasting scenarios of friend visits, we see how our focus dramatically shapes others' experiences in our homes. When we apologize for our "mess" or fret about presentation, we create discomfort. When we simply welcome people warmly and focus entirely on them, meaningful connection flourishes. The transformation happens not through fancy preparations but through a simple shift in perspective: hospitality isn't about you.
Jesus provides our ultimate model for this practice. From dining with outcasts to washing disciples' feet at the Last Supper, His hospitality never centered on impressive settings but on making people feel valued and loved. Biblical hospitality sees our homes as ministry tools where people experience God's love in action. It's less about perfect baseboards and more about perfect presence.
We explore practical ways to cultivate this hospitality: making intentional space in our schedules, embracing simplicity, involving children in the practice, extending hospitality beyond our physical spaces, and overcoming the perfectionism that keeps our doors closed. Remember, nobody notices your mess unless you point it out! As Easter approaches, let this be your invitation to prepare not just your home but your heart to welcome others just as Christ has welcomed you.
Ready to transform your gatherings? Start by focusing less on how your home looks and more on how your guests feel. The difference will be life-changing—for them and for you.
Recommended Reading:
The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield
Practicing The Way by John Mark Comer
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Imagine you're going over to a friend's house for coffee. You knock on the door and as she opens the door she immediately says something like oh hey, please excuse the mess I haven't had a chance to clean up yet. You awkwardly look around and quickly give her some reassurance that it's all okay. She continues to talk about how everything's going and how busy she's been as a way of justifying the state of things. You keep assuring her that it is totally fine, but you start to feel a little uncomfortable. Either her home isn't messy at all and now you're thinking about that pile of laundry that was on your couch the last time she came over to visit, and if that was too messy for her or her home really is messy, and while you didn't even notice it at first because you were just simply looking forward to catching up with your friend, now you can't stop looking at the mess. Either way, this visit quickly becomes awkward and uncomfortable, and you find yourself searching for reasons to leave a bit sooner than you had originally planned. Does that scenario sound familiar? I can honestly say that I have been in the shoes of both of those women at some point or another. But let's try this again. Other. But let's try this again, only this time there is going to be one tiny difference and I want you to see if you can catch it.
Speaker 1:Imagine you knock on your friend's door and when she answers, she immediately gives you a big hug and says hello, friend, come on in, it's so good to see you. How are things? She listens as you share a few highlights. You walk into the kitchen together and you notice that her kids have left some unfinished artwork on the counter. And yet your friend grabs the coffee mugs and says let's sit over here in the living room and catch up coffee mugs. And says let's sit over here in the living room and catch up. She effortlessly steers you away from the mess and into a cozy spot. Pretty soon you look at the clock and realize it has already been two hours. You wrap up the conversation and say your goodbyes and as you climb in your car you sigh in contentment. That was such a beautiful time together and so good for your soul. You smile and you look forward to the next time. Did you catch the one thing that was different? Even though it was tiny, the impact was huge.
Speaker 1:The art of hospitality is exactly that an art. The art of hospitality is exactly that an art but that doesn't mean that it is unachievable. The main difference between these two interactions is that when you are hosting, it's not about you. The first scenario is an example of what could be called cultural entertaining. This is performance-driven and focuses on impressing the guests with perfect presentation or a beautifully decorated home. Guests tend to feel that everything is centered in a way that elevates the host. The second scenario is more aligned with what I would call biblical hospitality.
Speaker 1:There is a focus on serving and loving others. In the same way that Christ welcomes you, romans 15, 7 says the goal of the host is to make others feel seen, valued and cared for. There is an emphasis on connection instead of presentation. When you practice biblical hospitality, you see your home as a ministry, where people leave your house having experienced God's love in action. Basically, cultural entertaining is about impressing people, while biblical hospitality is about blessing people. In less than a week, you might find yourself hosting Easter brunch or dinner for family and friends. So the intention of this episode is to help you prepare your heart so that you can graciously open your home without reservation or worry.
Speaker 1:This episode will shine some light on biblical examples of hospitality to serve as inspiration. We will also look at the heart behind hospitality practical ways to cultivate biblical hospitality and overcome barriers when it comes to opening your home to others. Rosaria Butterfield, author of the book the Gospel Comes with a House Key. Rosaria Butterfield, author of the book the Gospel Comes with a House Key, shares her story of becoming a Christian through what she calls radical ordinary hospitality. She explains that the best way to share the gospel to those around you is to simply see your home as God's tool to further his kingdom. And you don't have to look very far into the ministry of Jesus to find him gathering around a table with sinners and outcasts on the regular, from Matthew to Zacchaeus, to dining with his ragtag group of followers.
Speaker 1:Jesus often used the setting of hospitality to share his message of hope and love and truth. Arguably the most famous meal Jesus ever hosted was what we call the Last Supper. You can find this account in all four of the Gospels Matthew 26, mark 14, luke 22, and John 13. There was nothing fancy about this meal. It was a simple room with bread and wine. However, it was how Jesus made them feel that made all the difference, even knowing what would happen in just a few short hours. Jesus used this time to focus on his disciples and prepare their hearts for what was to come. He chose to demonstrate hospitality, to serve and love his disciples.
Speaker 1:Biblical hospitality is an act of love and service. Matthew 25 35 says it's one thing to stand on a street corner and tell everyone who passes by that they need to repent or they're going to hell. Or perhaps a more modern example would be to post Bible verses every day on Instagram. There is nothing necessarily wrong with either of those things. I mean, it's a little awkward to be shouting at people from either a street corner or your computer screen. However, neither is very effective, because there is no personal connection, there is no relationship. Because there is no personal connection, there is no relationship.
Speaker 1:The most effective way to reach the hearts of others is to offer hospitality. John Mark Comer says it this way in his book Practicing the Way learn to cook, set the table and build community. This means that you humbly and generously open your home and lay aside your fear and perfectionism. So how can you practically cultivate biblical hospitality? The first is to make space in your home and your lives for others. If you are too busy or too distracted, you will not be able to offer hospitality. Consider Martha from Luke 10. And poor Martha. She gets such a bad rap in the Christian circles, but she was all of us at some point in our lives. She was frantic and worried about the presentation of it all instead of focusing on offering rest and peace. The second thing you can do is focus on simplicity. It's about the people, not the presentation. No one is looking at your baseboards to see if they're clean. In fact, if you are truly focused on others, the thing that will be remembered long after everyone has left your home is how peace-filled and loved they felt.
Speaker 1:Third, invite your children to take part in the practice of hospitality. Give them opportunities to serve. I remember my mom giving me the task of taking everyone's drink orders when I was about eight or nine. I got so into this job. I had a clipboard and check marks and I had all the options listed out. I was in full waitress mode and it was the best I liked, getting to do something that felt meaningful and important. I mean, everyone needs to drink something with their dinner right. Include your kids and let them develop a deeper understanding of what it means to serve and love others too. And fourth, extend hospitality beyond your home. Connect with people in a way that makes them feel seen and valued and loved. Ask questions about them. Keep the conversation circling back to the other person. We have a natural tendency to want to talk about ourselves, and yet you will set yourself apart when you make it your goal to be the most interested person, not the most interesting.
Speaker 1:First, peter 4.9 says show hospitality to one another without grumbling. This is a wonderful reminder to see hospitality as a lifestyle and not an event. It is a lie that we so often believe when we say, oh, but my home isn't good enough. It's too small, too messy, too loud, too far away too. You fill in the blank when you see hospitality as simply opening the doors and welcoming others. It doesn't really matter what it all looks like, and people aren't likely to notice your mess unless you point it out. It is a gift to open your home and let people enter, as is no specific standards or requirements to be welcomed in. You are loved and accepted right now. A home that extends this mercy is a home that feels cozy and calm. Jesus doesn't ask us to get it all together before we fall on our knees before his throne. We don't need to have perfect homes before we open our doors.
Speaker 1:Since it is nearly Easter at the time of this episode recording, I thought it would be fitting to read this passage from John 13, which takes place during the Last Supper. Jesus ultimately provides the best example of what biblical hospitality looks like. Listen to this John 13, 1-5, and then 12-17. Now, before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end, during supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray him.
Speaker 1:Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going back to God things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going back to God, he rose from supper, laid aside his outer garments and, taking a towel, tied it around his waist.
Speaker 1:Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place. He said to them Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I, then your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet, for I have given you an example that you also should do, just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you. If you do them, may you feel encouraged and inspired this week to go and do likewise.