A Servant’s Heart

The Path to Christ-Like Service

A Devotional Study of
1 Peter 4: 7 – 11

By Kara H. Duckworth

Week 7: Serving Others With Hospitality

Week 7: Serving Others With Hospitality

{Day 1} You’re Welcome
Read: 1 Peter 4: 9; Matthew 25: 31 – 46

“Be hospitable to one another without complaining.” (HCS)

“I was a stranger and you welcomed me…” (ESV)

Jess works with international students who come to our area to study at UT. Recently, Jess and her mom decided
to host a baby shower for a young couple that just moved to town from Japan. This sweet couple were expecting
their first child and didn’t know many people here. As shower attendees introduced themselves and told where
they were from, – China, India, South Africa, and various states in the US – Sayaka was in tears that so many
people she had never met would give up their Saturday to honor her and would give her family such lovely
presents. Sayaka gave party favors to each guest with a hand-printed card attached to each:

Thank you so much for giving me such a

wonderful baby shower! I’m grateful for
your thoughtfulness. I’ll tell today’s
precious time to my baby in the future.
Thank you

It’s hard enough to move to a different country where you don’t know the language or culture. But imagine giving
birth there, too! Jess and her mom and all those women attending the shower ministered to a stranger through
hospitality and made her feel welcomed in.

God wanted to make sure His people never forgot what it felt like to be a stranger in a foreign land. When the
experience of living enslaved in Egypt was still fresh in their minds, He gave them this law: “Do not mistreat an
alien or oppress him, for you were once aliens in Egypt.” {Exodus 22:21} God said: never forget how it felt to be far
from home, to be unfamiliar with the terrain, to feel left out of the culture, to not understand what people are
saying. Use that to fuel your passion for welcoming strangers!

Maybe you’ve visited or lived for a time in another country. Or you’ve moved to a different state or a new school.
Perhaps you’ve gotten a new job or just started attending a new church. Or you remember your first Esther
Experience where you knew only the friend that invited you.

Hospitality is the gift of making strangers feel “less strange.” It’s transitioning people from feeling like an outsider
to feeling at home. The key is remembering that feeling of being the stranger yourself.

For most people, it ranges from difficult to crippling to walk into a place filled with strangers. Be the one who
invites new people in. Not just into your home, but into your circle. Into your activity. Into your routine. Into your
life.

Ponder: What’s a time in your life you were the new person? Who welcomed you?
Showed you the ropes? Befriended you? Can you remember specific things they
said or did that made you feel at home?

Pray: Ask God to show you how to be welcoming to people in all contexts.

Week 7: Serving Others With Hospitality

{Day 2} Generous
Read: 1 Peter 4: 9; 1 Timothy 6: 17 – 19

“Be hospitable to one another without complaining.” (HCS)

“…and to be generous and willing to share.” (NIV)

Many years ago, Glen invited the Joneses up to his in-laws’ cabin on Norris Lake to spend a late-winter Sunday
afternoon. Glen’s father-in-law and his three brothers-in-law were building contractors from Ohio. Their place on
the lake was the family retreat. A young family with two preschoolers, the Joneses couldn’t afford such a
recreational getaway.

Greeting and welcoming them, Glen’s mother-in-law and father-in-law gave the Jones family a tour of the
beautifully constructed home and showed them the detailed craftsmanship they had put into it. Glen pointed out
the canoes, kayaks, fishing poles, boat, toys, and games his family were placing at their disposal. They expected the
Joneses would just jump right in and play. But the young family were honestly so awed by their hosts’ generosity,
they just stood there stunned. Finally breaking the ice, Glen’s family decided to take them for a cruise in the boat
to spot bald eagles. The barriers thus broken down, the Joneses began to relax and enjoy the time along with their
hospitable hosts.

Hospitality isn’t only about making people feel welcome; it’s also the gift of taking what’s yours and making others
feel as if it’s theirs.

You know, it is possible to be generous without being hospitable. You can generously donate money to sponsor an
orphan or to help people rebuild after a natural disaster. You can generously donate groceries for the food bank.
And God certainly is pleased with that. But hospitality is sharing your possessions as you’re also using them.

It’s the difference between donating a class set of crayons to your child’s classroom – that’s generous – and
sharing your brand-new box of crayons with a girl that doesn’t have any – that’s hospitable. Between allowing your
roommate to use your TV and inviting your roommate to watch TV with you. Hospitality invites someone into a
relationship with you in which they don’t feel inferior. They’re invited into your life to join you in enjoying the
things you’ve been blessed with.

Ponder: Don’t get hung up on the fact that our scripture for today speaks of
“those who are rich.” You might immediately excuse yourself because you’re
not rich. But the principles of being rich in good deeds, being generous, and
being willing to share apply to all. Have you been hospitable to others
through generosity? How can you do that more?

Pray: Ask God to show you how to be generous and willing to share.

Week 7: Serving Others With Hospitality

 {Day 3} Refreshing!

Read: 1 Peter 4: 9; Proverbs 11:25

“Be hospitable to one another without complaining.” (HCS)

“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” (NIV)

re/fresh/ment

Root Word: fresh=

having its original qualities unimpaired: such as (1):
full of or renewed in vigor;
what has not lost its qualities of newness such as
liveliness, energy, brightness
{Merriam-Webster}

Prefix: re- = again

Suffix: -ment = the state of

Fresh as a daisy: It just popped out and woke up beautiful. {Wish I woke up that way!} Fresh as a newborn baby:
With a clean slate. New and brimming with possibilities. Fresh as a spring rain: Cleansing and bringing growth and
new life.

What are some times you feel “fresh”? After a restful night’s sleep without needing to wake to an alarm? After a
long soak in a hot bath? When you dress in a cleanly washed and pressed outfit? Maybe when you’re pleasantly
full from a light meal? After a brisk swim? When you crawl into a bed with newly-changed sheets? When you bite a
dark chocolate-covered peppermint treat?

Sadly, freshness only lasts a short while; then you need re-freshment.

Another component to hospitality is that it refreshes others. It helps them regain their liveliness, energy, and
brightness. It renews their vigor, beauty, and possibilities. It readies them for new growth.

The promise of refreshment is that the host – the one extending the refreshment, the hospitable one – in the
process, is also refreshed. When you are generous with your time, your energy, your enthusiasm, your friendship,
your talents, you will find yourself recharged. You will be energized. That’s an amazing dynamic!

Do you feel like you’ve gotten stale? Do you feel friendless or disconnected? Wouldn’t you love to feel fresh again?

Reach out and refresh someone.

Ponder: When has someone done something to refresh you? What did they do? Have
you planned and carried out something to refresh someone else? How did it
make you feel?

Pray: Ask God to open your eyes to opportunities to refresh others.

Week 7: Serving Others With Hospitality

 {Day 4} A Needed Break

Read: 1 Peter 4: 9; 1 Samuel 16: 14 – 22; 1 Samuel 17: 12 - 20

“Be hospitable to one another without complaining.” (HCS)

“So Saul was refreshed and was well …” (ESV)

Just a little respite. Amanda said that was all she needed. If the noise inside her head wouldn’t go away
completely, at least she could have a break. Music gave her mind something else to focus on besides the constant
activity of self-doubt, fears, and lies that bombarded her. She found it particularly helped as she lay down at night
to try to sleep.

In 1 Samuel 15, we find that Saul was plagued by a “harmful spirit” to which the answer seemed to be music. Saul’s
servants suggested that he seek out a skilled musician that played soothing tunes on the lyre. Someone
recommended David not only for his musical skill, but also because he was an all-around great guy and because he
was obviously favored by God. So Israel’s leading lyricist and future worship leader became Saul’s respite. When
David played, Saul’s spirit was refreshed.

For several weeks, congregants at Bethel Church collected sunscreen, socks, comic books, salted nuts and snacks,
hot chocolate, beef jerky, protein bars, and hygiene items. Just before Thanksgiving, they held a massive packing
party, then shipped the boxes to soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. The church military outreach team
ended up creating a giant bulletin board in the foyer to display all the pictures and thank you notes from grateful
troops.

Young David split his time between serenading Saul and tending his father’s sheep. Three of his elder brothers
were deployed soldiers in Saul’s army. Their Dad decided it was time to send them a care package and David was
called upon to deliver it. David carried toasted grain and loaves of bread to his brothers and cheese for their
superior officer. Assuming the king was responsible for provisioning his army, David’s visit served as a respite, so
his brothers could enjoy an extra treat and receive news from home to refresh them.

In both of these vignettes from David’s life, we see him delivering refreshment to those that are facing an enemy.
There’s not a time when encouragement and refreshment are more needed.

We’ll explore this further in Day 5.

Ponder: Has God given you the opportunity to cross paths with a saint who’s battling
sickness or disease? Or with someone who’s fighting a spiritual battle? Or maybe it’s
you who’s in a battle. What gives you peace and rest?

Dream a Little: People you meet may be dealing with mental health issues in themselves or in
loved ones. They may be engaged in spiritual warfare. How can you encourage and
refresh them?

Pray: Ask God to use you in providing refreshment to embattled spirits.

Week 7: Serving Others With Hospitality

 {Day 5} Refreshment Time

Read: 1 Peter 4: 9; Psalm 23

“Be hospitable to one another without complaining.” (HCS)

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies …” (ESV)

Sometimes in the Psalms, we find musical notations or notes about authorship. In some cases, we find a bit more information,
such as the occasion upon which a psalm was written. I’m fascinated with how the songs of Israel’s “sweet psalmist” or
“beloved singer of songs” (2 Samuel 23:1) connect to the narrative of David’s eventful life.

I think we can make an argument supporting how neatly Psalm 23 fits in with the timeline of young David’s life we read
yesterday. We looked at two instances where David was providing refreshment to those who were engaged in battle.

In characteristic Davidic fashion, David deftly deflects all attention from himself and points it toward God as the supreme
example of refreshment and hospitality.

In verses 1 – 3, God, not David, is the shepherd. God caringly provides for every need and directs us toward places of calm and
rest. David notes that this treatment refreshes or restores the soul. Verse 4 goes on to talk about God’s comforting presence as
we face the greatest enemy – death.

Verse 5 showcases God as the gracious host. It’s as if God has come and entered our battlefield to provide a cease-fire. Because
of His sovereign power, our enemies can only watch and wait while we have a feast. God sets the table and He gives us the oil
of gladness to signify that it’s a celebration. Again, David describes how this invigorates us – our spirits overflow – and in verse
6, our hope in the future is restored. We know we can look forward to being hospitably invited into God’s home. Forever.

Ponder: Can you think of a time God has given you a break right in the middle of a
battle?

Dream a Little: Encourage others with the picture of God as our protector and provider and
our peace right in the middle of battle.

Pray: Worship God and praise Him for being your provider, protector, respite, peace.
Thank Him for His sovereignty over your enemies.

{Note: I must credit my worship pastor, Chuck Hooten, and his wife, Emily, with sharing the thought from Psalm 23 of God’s provision for us while making
our enemies wait. It made me take a closer look at this beloved psalm.}

{Note 2: I was inspired as I wrote this by listening to Scott Krippayne’s beautiful rendition of this psalm, called “Twenty-Three” from the project David:
Extraordinary Man … Extraordinary God. You can listen to it at this link: https://youtu.be/kMt7CO3MVXw