Sometimes, hospitality seems hard. It may be that we feel ill-equipped to welcome others because of our own life circumstances, or it may be that someone we feel led to invite makes us uncomfortable. Maybe we feel our personality limits us, or reaching out just feels hard. In this episode, we talk about how to respond to the "pride movement" with humility. More specifically, what if someone who identifies differently sexually makes us uncomfortable? How might Christ be calling us to respond?
Sometimes, living the inviting life is hard. Opening our lives and even our homes to someone else will stretch us - especially when it’s outside our comfort zone.
Because of the way the enemy is working through the language of our society, many of us view sexual sin, and sexual identity, as an all-encompassing factor in how we interact with others right now. But the truth is, any time someone is different from us, and particularly when that’s because they are openly practicing a sin or lifestyle that makes us uncomfortable, hospitality can be hard.
So with that in mind, let’s talk about how we can interact with the “pride movement” with humility… how we can be equipped to practice gospel-driven hospitality to those who are different from us in a way that makes us uncomfortable.
A short list of helps:
1. Pray.
2. Be humble.
3. Be wise and discerning.
4. Be transparent.
5. Be loving (and interested).
6. Be fearless. (Matthew 10:26-33)
1. Pray: We ask God before we open our mouths or our days, to lead us to those He wants us to invite, and to lead us as we build relationships, for His glory!
2. Be humble: We recognize our own standing before God and then we approach anyone God brings into our lives with proper humility in light of His person and work.
3. Be wise and discerning: We seek to know God’s word and use the wisdom we receive from His Spirit in how we interact with those He has called us to invite.
4. Be transparent: We must be honest about both our helplessness without Christ, and our confidence IN Christ, as we build relationships for the sake of the gospel.
5. Be loving (and interested): We genuinely care about others because they are made in His image and because He has called us to “go into all the world and preach the gospel, making disciples…”
6. Be fearless: After all of the above, we speak the truth in love, without fear for our ultimate safety or justification… not because we are “all that,” but because He is.
Oh, friend, I’m praying that God uses these words to equip you to boldly and gently, with wisdom and gentle fearlessness, speak the truth in love as you live the #invitinglife.
RESOURCES:
- Got Questions: Wise as Serpents – Harmless as Doves
- Four Ways to Practice Intentional Hospitality
- Douglas Webster's book, Table Grace
- Sermon: Jeremiah Riner, "The Final Verdict on Prayer," from Calvary Bible Church, Duffield, VA
*Above links may include affiliate links, which help support this ministry at no cost (and sometimes a discount) for you.
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