I'll never forget what she said. It was so simple, yet so true: "When you entertain, you bring honor and glory to yourself. Showing hospitality brings honor and glory to God."

Think about it. Pride can easily sneak in when you entertain. The dinner you serve shows off *your* cooking abilities. Everything is clean and neat so guests are impressed with *your* home and homemaking skills. And, if the evening is enjoyable, everyone assumes it's because of *your* talents as a host or hostess. Why, all this focus on yourself can lead to an inflated ego if you're not careful!

Hospitality, on the other hand, is not about impressing anyone. It's about being yourself and making your guests feel comfortable to be themselves. It doesn't matter if you serve frozen pizza or if dust bunnies are scurrying across your floors. Through your warmth and humility, guests feel better about themselves and closer to God for having been there.

Do you have a special friend whose home you love to visit? Is it because she serves ten-course meals on her finest china or because every corner of her home would pass the white glove test? Probably not. Neither extravagance nor perfection is what makes a visit enjoyable. Warm hospitality is what turns an ordinary evening into a memorable occasion. When you feel a little of God's love extended to you through your host, you can't help but want to come again.

Romans chapter 12, verse 13 tells us to practice hospitality. Certainly there is a time and a place for entertaining, like when your spouse has important business clients in from out of town. But how often does that happen? Most guests in your home aren't there to be impressed. They would much rather kick back, relax and be treated like family.

Entertaining can be one of the biggest stressors of the holiday season, although this kind of stress does not limit itself to the holidays. If the thought of trying to host picture-perfect social gatherings is a big worry for you, why not try showing hospitality instead? Forget about showing your guests what you can do. Try instead to show what God can do through you when you relax, be yourself and let Him worry about the dust bunnies hiding in the den!