When did hospitality become something we had to prepare for perfectly?
We tell people, “You must come round sometime”. Yet “sometime” can drift further away. The washing is still out. The sink is still full. The post is still sitting on the stairs. We keep waiting for a better day.
The woman in 2 Kings 4 did something different. She noticed that Elisha often passed her home. Then she prepared a small room for him. It held a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp. There was no luxury. There was simply enough.
More than that, she prepared the room before he needed it.
That small detail challenges me. Much of our kindness comes as a response to a crisis. Someone is struggling, so we rush to help. That matters. Yet this woman chose kindness on an ordinary day, when nobody was watching and no emergency demanded her care.
What might that look like for us?
It could mean clearing a chair before inviting a friend round. It could mean keeping some food ready to share. It could mean leaving space in our week for someone who may need to talk. At our corps or church, it might mean noticing the person who stands alone and choosing to sit beside them.
Hospitality does not begin with an impressive house. It begins with a willing heart.
As I say in today’s devotional, “You’re not being asked to be impressive. You’re being asked to be ready”.
We make room because Christ has already made room for us. We are already loved, welcomed, and at home in him. Our welcome becomes a small echo of his.
What is one small thing you could prepare today?
Watch the five-minute devotional on YouTube -