Love each other and offer hospitality

~Friday for Friends~

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 1 Peter 4:8-9 (NIV)

If you want, you can read the entire “Living for God” section of 1 Peter 4.

There are two things these verses tell us to do: love each another deeply and offer hospitality.

1. Love each another. “Above all” the text says. This is an extremely important thing that’s mentioned in numerous places in Scripture. Loving each other isn’t something we can do if we want. We have to do it. That is what God wants from us. One of the reasons for loving others is that God loved us first. If the Almighty, the perfect One could love us in all our mess, can’t we with his help love one another also? It won’t always be easy – far from it – but with God nothing is impossible.

2. Show hospitality. Now this is something I think is often overlooked. But it has its place in the Bible, so it should have it in our lives.

Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:13 (NIV)

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2 (NIV)

How about you? What are some ways you already love others and show hospitality? Any ideas for the future?