Session 5

Are you putting off what you desperately need?

From Win at Home: A 14-Day Devotional

Ever been on the receiving end of this text: “Do you mind if we stop by to bring a meal and hold the baby for a bit?”

If you’ve ever welcomed a new baby or been the caregiver for a close family member, you know a text like that can stop you in your tracks. Especially, when it’s been days — make that weeks — since you last picked up around the house, showered, or did anything that didn’t involve caring for someone else.

But what if the thing we’re most afraid of is the thing that will fill us up? What might happen if we didn’t give in to the embarrassment of a messy house or a messy life and let others in?

After all, isn’t that what Jesus does for us?

Long before we cared about Jesus, He cared about us. When we are farthest from Him, He welcomes us in. And the Bible tells us to go and do the same.

“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling” (1 Peter 4:9, NIV)

So often, we don’t feel good enough, clean enough, or “picked-up” enough to receive others’ love and blessings. We’re embarrassed by all the junk, but that’s exactly when we most need each other.

It’s through intimate conversations and sharing our real lives with fellow Christians, in our home or in theirs, that we experience what it means to be Jesus’ hands and feet. These messy but holy moments are where marriages restored, friendships are built, and unconditional love is shared.

Imagine the gifts waiting for you when you open your front door — dust bunnies and all.

Reflect:

• Do you find yourself putting off community for the sake of not having the “ideal” environment?
  
• What’s one thing preventing you from being vulnerable and letting others in?
  
• How can you open your home or a comfortable space to be hospitable this week?