What do you think of when you hear the word hospitality? For me, I used to think of welcome and greeting committees at church, or people with nice houses and pretty china who welcome others into their homes, always having fresh cookies right out of the oven and an array of beverages to serve. In fact, when I looked up the dictionary definition of hospitality, I found references to being welcoming to guests and serving food to visitors. Is there more to it than that?

Hospitality is significant in many cultures, including ours—although maybe not as much as it used to be. But hospitality is also significant in the Christian faith. Jesus teaches His followers love, compassion, kindness, and service toward others. He washed His disciples’ dirty feet to teach them about servanthood. In my mind, servanthood is closely linked to hospitality because they both involve going out of our way to love and care for others.

I have always loved the idea of being hospitable to others, welcoming them into my space and serving them. I always thought I couldn’t do that, though, because I live with my parents and don’t have a home of my own. No big house or fancy china for this girl—and that’s okay, because I realized I don’t have to have any of that to be a hospitable servant of Christ.

Jesus never had a home of His own, so He and His disciples often stayed in the homes of others. In his Gospel, Mark wanted to emphasize that Jesus was a servant. The book of Mark holds many accounts of Jesus healing and serving others: casting out demons, healing injuries and sicknesses, and speaking straight to people’s hearts. Jesus did all of this without a big home or beautiful dishes. Being Christ’s hospitable servant often means doing things differently than the rest of the world.

With that in mind, I decided that Jesus wants us to practice hospitality with the resources we have—not wait and dream of a day when we’ll have everything we need to invite someone into a “perfect” home. So, I’ve done a couple of things to start practicing hospitality.

First, I created my page called Words from the Heart, where I write and share videos to uplift and encourage others. I’ve described it as a living room with a soft carpet and a comfy couch, where people can plop down and feel warmth and comfort. I can’t invite the whole internet into my actual living room, but I can invite the world to come with their cares and anxieties and point them to the One who can help. I can use my experiences to inspire people who are going through difficult times. I can infuse my faith into my words to give an answer for the hope that lives within me. I do that with my page, and I try to do that with this blog as well. I’m honored to have the opportunity to write for the good of others.

Second, I help at church in any way I can. I can practice hospitality by being part of the body of Christ. For me, that means teaching kids on Tuesday nights, singing in the choir, and volunteering for outreach events. My goal is to be an active participant in my church instead of merely holding down a pew.

I’ve also tried to be the person I needed when I was younger. I didn’t have many mentors until I got older, but I’ve realized they’ve played a valuable role in my life by giving advice or simply being Christian examples to follow. I want to be that for someone else, so I’ve invited a girl from church to come over and study the Bible, or just talk and pray. Maybe I’ll even bake cookies.

Do what you can with what you have. That’s been my motto recently as I approach hospitality. I love to cook, bake, sing, write, and work with clay, so I’ve thought about how I can use those interests and talents to serve others. Even simple things, like reaching out to a friend, baking cookies for someone, or throwing a bowl on the wheel to give as a gift, can be hospitality. Maybe I can cook a meal for someone in need, write an encouraging note, or show up when someone needs a friend. Anything I do using the gifts and talents God has given me right now in this season is considered hospitality.

So, how can you practice hospitality this week?

Katelyn