Therefore: Be Hospitable to One Another Without Complaint

Peter wants us to have open homes and open hearts toward one another in the body, even when it's hard and we are tempted to complain.

• Hospitality-Philo, term for love that exists between friends, with suffix for “stranger”. Friendly love expressed for strangers
• Complaint-grumbling, murmuring, muttering, grudging, expression of displeasure or dissatisfaction due to an annoyance due to inconvenience, mindset of entitlement, no small sin; forgets the goodness and sovereignty of God and focused on self

God instructs us by the example of the children Israel grumbling against God. God destroyed Israel for complaining and grumbling about lacking food and water-how much more if we complain about inconveniences and annoyances that come with opening our home to our brethren for whom Christ died!

How can we do this practically?

1. Remember the gospel-we are treated better than we deserve by God; freely received freely give
2. God blesses us to be rich toward others
3. Hospitality is a category on the day of judgement - I was a stranger and you took me in
4. Take your complaints and anxieties to the Lord, be real with Him in faith, because He cares for you
5. Understand this is a responsibility of all believers, including you
6. Get your house in order to get organized if needed to enable hospitality
7. Mark off dates on calendar to have people over-plan to make it happen