Open Your Heart and Open Your Home

We are considering some of the qualities the Lord wants men in leadership in the local church to exhibit, and how we as wives can enhance our husband's effectiveness in these areas.

1 Timothy 3:2- An overseer then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach. 

Hopitable:

This verse also mentions that an elder must be hospitable.  There is no way your husband can do this without your full cooperation.  I remember one time my husband came to me during the break between meetings on a Sunday morning.  Some people from out of town had shown up and he wanted to invite them to eat with us.  I didn’t say a word- I just sighed.  I was tired, and people take energy.  He looked at me sadly and walked away.   I knew that my attitude was wrong and after Sunday school was over, I went to find him and tell him that was fine to go ahead and invite them.  But the people had already left.  I wasn’t being the help my husband needed in that instance.  His heart wanted to be what God had called him to be, but I had hindered him. 

Romans 12:13 says that we are to be “given to hospitality”.  Our homes should always be open.  An open home starts with an open heart.  It means loving people more than you love yourself or your things.  Your home does not need to be a showplace.  It doesn’t need to be large.  You don’t need to be a gourmet cook.  The first people who showed hospitality to my husband and me as a couple had us over one Sunday evening for popcorn, and we had a wonderful time.  Your home just needs to be a place where people feel welcome, comfortable and loved.  And that has to do much more with your attitude than with the physical environment.  

There are so many opportunities in the area of hospitality: encouraging the believers in your own local fellowship, having evangelistic Bible studies, holding a neighborhood Bible club, giving college students a home away from home, providing overnight accommodations to visiting missionaries or believers from out of town.  These things are not just a blessing to those you are showing hospitality to- they are a tremendous blessing to your own family, especially your children. 

I cannot stress enough what an important part of your ministry this is.  It is imperative that a shepherd know his flock.  We’ve been able to get to know people better by having them in our home for 2 hours than we could have in 5 years of just being around them at church during meeting times.  

Think about what you need to do to make it easier for you to have people in your home.  Here are some practical things I have done: 

*We pulled up the carpet in our dining room so that I wouldn’t be worried about spills.  

*If you have a small house and want to have over a big family, invite them for a picnic in the park.  

*When having the youth group over, just wipe down the toilets and sinks in the bathroom, but don’t do any real cleaning until after they leave.  

Whatever you need to do to make it easier for you to have people in your home, DO IT!  This is one way that you can be a blessing to your husband and to the people of God.