Jesus once said, “it is better to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35), but have you ever noticed with God that when you do give, you receive so much unexpected return? This month, we are painting portraits of the inviter, and one of the glorious blessings we have noticed among inviters is that they glean gifts they never expected or requested. We don’t want to mislead. We would never suggest extending hospitality in order to glean gifts. We do, however, want to encourage anyone who finds hospitality daunting, because we and many of our friends have discovered that the first step of living invitationally is the hardest, and that hospitality ultimately has hidden treasures. Take a look at a story a friend recently shared with us:
A friend of mine who lived up the road had just had her first baby. She was somewhere in her “4th trimester”, and asked if she could take a walk to our house with the baby, to get some fresh air, light, scenery, and out of her 4 walls. A quick look around our apartment made me want to say no. Dishes from the day before, laundry piles all over the living room due to sorting & spotting to do the laundry. It felt like I had nothing to offer her, but I did. My very-messy place was just what she needed and where she needed to be, and what a gift it was to me to be able to help fill that need, regardless of what I had to present her.
We recently polled several people with the following question: “Proverbs 11:24-25 says, ‘One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings a blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.’ As you think about times that you have opened up your home or your life to invite others in, how would you say that you ‘grew all the richer, were enriched, or were watered,’ as Proverbs describes?” We have compiled several responses to share with you for two reasons. Perhaps the idea of extending hospitality exhausts you. We hope these responses will encourage you. On the other hand, maybe you have loved living invitationally in the past, but life has gotten crazy or complicated or both. We pray these experiences will rekindle a flame within you and remind you of the joys of inviting. Let’s see what our responders shared.
“At times I have felt overwhelmed and like I didn’t have time or energy to be welcoming or to offer hospitality; however, God calls us to be hospitable and since He rewards obedience I have chosen to obey with a surrendered heart and in so doing have reaped the reward of being used by God and being blessed for my faithfulness with lighthearted joy and connection to the body of Christ.”
“Realizing we are not alone in this life and having community to walk through hard things – God knows we need that!”
“I’m currently hosting Bible study . . . and watching the 9 kiddos while the other adults study the Word. Yes, it’s a lot of work. But I end up being blessed afterwards, knowing I have some small part in “feeding” those I care about both physically and spiritually. And that I’m using what God has given me (my home and my gifts) to serve others. Life is so much sweeter when you “do life” with others – and I think that’s how God created it to be!”
When reflecting on a community gathering hosted by friends, one commenter said, “What a beautiful picture of fellowship, loving on others and opening your home.”
“We lend an opportunity to organically do life together and create space for conversations that normally wouldn’t happen!”
“Welcoming others into my home brings never ending blessings. Each invited guest brings unforeseen kindnesses into our time together. I’ve long cherished sharing meals and conversations to deepen relationships and spark new friendships.”
“I think the main thought that comes to mind about being enriched by others is the bonding that is shared over a meal. We enjoy having families over and hearing about how their parenting is going, how they interact with the kids, family traditions and choices, etc. It encourages us in this season of life and enriches how we think about the task God has given us. But over a meal, there’s more time for the conversation, which is so valuable.”
“God works through those moments to enrich the lives of guests, but it fills my heart with love and gratitude beyond compare.”
“When I host a group of ladies (like my Soup Group) I walk away encouraged. I often learn something new (like making homemade jam). I often have unexplained happiness or life-giving joy — Koinonia. We have also been able to share one another’s burdens and think about practical ways to help others in need, spurred on by one another. One might need a meal or another a babysitter.
“I think about the evenings that we talk around the island past midnight and we have no idea of time. It is a safe place to land, a break from the demands of life. When we give we are blessed, we are richer and we are loved. Why? Because the God who sees me and loves me uses me to shine his goodness and love to others. When I host neighborhood couples I learn more about people I do not know. I have a touch point, I foster relationships, and it gives me quality time with someone I rarely get to spend time with. It is a concentrated window.”
“There are social benefits. You get to know someone new or strengthen existing friendships. You feel more connected and not isolated.”
“One of the greatest gifts I have gleaned from hosting others is the realization that hospitality has so many sizes and “shapes.” From asking a neighbor to join you on a walk (building both friendship and heart health) or asking them over for a cup of coffee (creating space for conversation) to inviting others to explore a new art technique (curating creativity) or celebrating a milestone moment in others’ lives, hospitality can flow smoothly through each season of life. And with each gathering, we not only discover the artistry of God’s creation, but we weave a tapestry of friendships that enrich one another’s lives.”
Friends, the apostle Peter wrote,
“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love makes up for many of your faults. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay for the night.
“God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many kinds of blessings.” — 1 Peter 4:8-10 TLB
We would add what Peter certainly knew. Opening up our hearts, lives, and homes to others also builds bridges that let us share God’s invitations with others, as well, particularly His offer of abundant and eternal life in His Family through faith in His Son Jesus. Let’s take Peter’s word for it and extend the hospitality he describes, confident that we will be surprised with gifts of God’s goodness along the way.
We had so many great responses to our poll. We are grateful to all who responded! Join us back on the blog tomorrow through Thursday, as we share three more portraits of inviters who have been blessed through their inviting of others.
— Sue and Linda for The Sublime Soiree (c) August 2025
