Chances are, you love to receive great hospitality. Whether it’s from a favorite restaurant, a nice hotel, or a close friend’s house. There’s something about being welcomed in that we all long for. But the truth about hospitality is that it’s costly. 

Hospitality costs you time, convenience, and space. So why does Hebrews 13:2 say, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers”? Hospitality is worth it! Why? Because it’s a reflection of what God has done with you. Jesus understood what it would cost Him to welcome you into His family, and you were with it. 

Maybe this is why deep down we long for hospitality and why it’s so impactful when we show it to others, too. Don’t wait for the perfect meal, the perfect house, or the perfect plan. After all, Jesus didn’t wait for us to clean up before inviting us over! 

What do you think the most shocking thing Jesus did while He walked the earth? Put yourself in the shoes of the disciples who walked with him. What might they say? Maybe seeing Jesus heal or telling the winds and waves to be still. They could mention how Jesus fed over 5000 people with just a few loaves and fish. But what happened in John 13 might take the top of the list. 

Jesus put a towel around his waist, filled a basin with water, and washed the feet of His disciples. This man that they called ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’ is now serving them in one of the humblest ways. Then Jesus said to them, “Now that I have washed your feet, you should wash one another’s feet.”

Jesus loves in large, extraordinary ways, but He also takes the towel. How willing are we to serve when it comes to doing a task no one else wants? When there’s no applause attached? Jesus modeled a humble love. May we strive to love and serve others, especially when it seems ordinary, low, inconvenient, and unseen. 

To ask God for a servant’s heart today, here’s a guided prayer just for you:

What’s the last good intention that you’ve had? Have you ever meant to check in on an old friend? Or maybe you’ve intended to only speak kindly to yourself and others. In big or small ways, we usually have good intentions to love. But love isn’t meant to just live in our intentions. 

1 John 3:18 says, “Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” Words absolutely matter, but maybe they matter less to a watching world when our actions don’t match our words. Love becomes a little more visible when it moves.

A meal delivered. A text returned. A sacrifice made. An act of generosity given. A choice to serve when it would be easier not to. 

Let’s strive to be like Jesus who didn’t just say that He loves us; He showed us through His actions. Here’s your one thought: Love becomes real when it moves from words to actions.