Always Welcome

Each year, I chose one word to represent my goals for the upcoming year. For 2016, I'm choosing hospitality. It's defined as

hos·pi·tal·i·ty

ˌhäspəˈtalədē/

noun

1. 1. 
the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.

2. synonyms:

3. friendliness, hospitableness, warm reception, welcome, helpfulness, neighborliness, warmth, kindness, congeniality, geniality, cordiality, courtesy, amenability, generosity, entertainment, catering, food"we found nothing but hospitality among the local inhabitants"


In scripture, it's defined as 

“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

I think of myself being kind hearted. For 2016, I will be looking forward to ways to be hospitable to others. I will look for ways to make my home hospitable to my family. Most of all, I will look for ways to be hospitable to myself. 

My guiding principle has been Matthew 25 for years. In 2016, I plan on truly living it

““Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’”

Matthew 25:34-45 NIV

http://bible.com/111/mat.25.34-45.niv