Sensible Practicality or Spontaneous Hospitality?

I believe hospitality should frequently be spontaneous. It should be practical — certainly. Sensible — naturally. But spontaneous — definitely. There’s a kind of pressure that dissipates for both host and guest in a way that’s often hard to express. Recently, an opportunity arose that tested exactly this: our ability to prioritise relationships over practical arrangements.

Some of the most unforgettable conversations and deepest relationships — that eventually guided me to Christ and influenced my personal growth — were developed and strengthened during unplanned, unscheduled, and unscripted moments of hospitality. These were often spontaneous acts of hospitality that prioritised relationships and eternity over sheer practicality. But while most of these were random moments, there was a degree of intentionality to them.

I'll quickly add that I genuinely believe details matter. Order, structure, punctuality, and other such good things, ought not to be overlooked or dismissed. They provide the unseen foundation, the invisible scaffold, which supports the important activity of Christian hospitality. Without a warm venue, a roof that doesn't leak, enough slices of cake to go around, and chairs for all to sit on, hospitality does indeed become trickier to manage. But with a little clever planning and creative thinking, even these challenges can easily be overcome.

Recently, my family and I had to make a last-minute decision with a young guest we had taken to church. We had invited a bunch of guests for lunch after the worship service and needed to get home before they arrived. The plan was to drop off our ten-year-old guest on the way home. However, his parents work night shifts, which means they would have finished early in the morning and would most likely be resting or sleeping. What should we do?

In that moment, I saw a golden opportunity for spontaneous hospitality. Sure, we could have dropped him off at home as originally planned with his parents. Given that we had guests arriving soon and needed to prepare, this would have been the practical, logical, and sensible thing to do. However, we could also have just welcomed him by including him in our afternoon plans. My family loved the idea, and thankfully, so did our guest — he was thrilled. So what did we do? We called his parents. They agreed: it was a fantastic idea.

Doing Life Together

I get it. It's a small act. But in the grand economy of God's wisdom, through His people acting as salt and light (salt being small; light being physically intangible), these intentional small acts can bear lasting fruit that won't immediately be seen. In addition, spontaneous hospitality generates the opportunity to do life together. And I firmly believe when life is done together intentionally—with the gospel as the core motive—something good inevitably flows from it.

But the benefits of spontaneous hospitality have a ripple effect. These benefits extend beyond the invited guest. Spontaneous hospitality circles back by humbling and helping us too. It teaches us sacrificial love which is the very heart of the cross. It models and exemplifies God's love to our children. It influences the atmosphere of our homes and our way of life. It defines our priorities. It confronts our greed. It critiques our materialism. Furthermore, the infectious sounds of laughter, conversations, music, and spontaneous singing communicate to our neighbours something about the relational nature of the Christian faith.

Who Owns What?

I'm reminded that everything I own ultimately belongs to God. It's all His in the first place. Everything. Psalm 24:1 says, "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein..." If that's the case, I'm responsible before God to wisely and generously use the resources He has given me to serve His purposes—the glory of His name, and the extension of His kingdom.

In the parable of the banquet (Matthew 22:1-14, Luke 14:15-24), Jesus tells of a great feast in which invited guests make excuses and refuse the invitation. The host then invites the marginalized, poor, and strangers to fill his house instead. Jesus' parable serves to illustrate God's urgent invitation to salvation, depicted through the act of spontaneous and lavish hospitality. While the parable itself is not intended as some sort of template for hospitality per se; it serves to remind us of God's inviting nature.

The rest of the afternoon was a delight. My children welcomed him, offered him food and drink, showed him the bathroom, and then headed to the garden to play every sport known to man. It was a success. He left feeling loved; my children experienced the joy and benefits of spontaneous hospitality; the parents enjoyed some extra rest; my wife and I got to model Jesus; and our guests had a new little person to chat with. A win-win situation.

Later that evening, we got a text from the boy's mother expressing their gratitude and mentioning how much he enjoyed his time with us. By the end of the night, our family reflected on how physically tired we felt, but we all agreed it was energy well spent.

Hospitality's Magnetic Effect

I firmly believe, as we do life together this way, we will see not only discipleship taking place, but converts becoming trophies of God's grace (a phrase I first heard from Leonard Ravenhill). In one of my recent blog articles titled "Love That Troubled an Emperor", I discussed how Roman Emperor Julian resented Christian hospitality because they (not the food or perfectly clean homes) had an almost magnetic effect of drawing people to know and follow Jesus Christ. It was their love for strangers that troubled the Emperor.

Scriptures To Consider

The sheer number of Bible verses that command and commend Christian hospitality is a Bible study worth exploring. For now, let's take a look at just three:

Jesus said: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” (Matthew 25:35)

“You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Leviticus 19:34)

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (Hebrews 13:2)

Oh, how sweet are the Scriptures — God's Holy Word — in always directing us towards that which is better.

Let me conclude with a call to action. Continue to be practical; there's a world of good in it. But every now and then, mix it up with some spontaneous hospitality—eternity itself will reveal the fruit.