{Being hospitable reflects a part of the heart of God.}

Opening our homes to others.... This simple act of kindness and hospitality was important enough that it was noted in scripture when Martha opened her home to Jesus. I know Martha needed to slow down and her priorities needed to be realigned to spend time with Jesus. Yet I always want to remember the great example Martha was in that she easily opened her home, and therefore her heart, to Jesus. The KJV says “she welcomed Him into her house”. I like that. And I remember Matthew 25:40, that however we serve others in His name, we are serving Him. “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me.’”

The meaningful offering of hospitality can seem so complicated, so overwhelming, so stressful and even so unnecessary in our lives today. The heart of entertaining seems to be waning in this world of social media, where, if we are not disciplined and resolved, most of our social interaction can be in front of a computer or smart phone screen instead of face-to-face. "The Lord spoke to you face to face…” ~ Deuteronomy 5:4

Our busy and technology-driven lives contribute to our lack of personal fellowship one with another. Opening our homes and inviting others in for coffee, snacks, a meal or a party can easily slip off our heart’s and calendar’s radar screens. But I believe we are called and commanded to be hospitable in whatever form the Lord chooses. “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another..” ~ Hebrews 10:25

A few years ago, the Lord put a unique hospitality idea on my heart called SerenDIPity – a dip party featuring sweet, savory, warm and “manly” dips brought by our guests. My husband, Jim, and I began annually opening our home for SerenDIPity and gathering friends together for a fun evening of fellowship, laughter, a banquet of dips and light-hearted competition. Our guests really have made SerenDIPity the hit that it is! Their creativity and enthusiasm are the pulse of SerenDIPity! We award prizes for each category, including presentation and originality.

After hosting our first SerenDIPity, I wrote about it on my blog Joy In The Truth. Before we knew it, SerenDIPity was “trending” and it was appearing on Pinterest before I even knew what Pinterest was! Jim encouraged me to write a book sharing the hospitality idea of SerenDIPity.

This book will help you to:

Opening our homes in hospitality usually involves stepping out of our comfort zones. Whether we are inviting others to our homes or preparing a meal to bring to someone, it often involves a surrender of selfishness.

We are all in varying situations and seasons of our lives, so being hospitable and opening your home to others may look different for each of us at any given time. Whether it is the unassuming act of offering someone a cup of cold water or entertaining a large group of people, being hospitable reflects a part of the heart of God.

Whether through a SerenDIPity party or another way to show hospitality, seek the Lord and ask Him how you can reflect His heart for hospitality in this season of your life. Because His word brings life, I believe He will bless you for serving others through being hospitable. If you would like a fun and unique idea for inviting others to your home for a SerenDIPity dip party, I invite you to take a look at my book “SerenDIPity ~ Celebrating Dips, Faith & Friendship”.