Excuses I've Used #1: I'm Sorry But I'm An Introvert...

"Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling"

1 Peter 4v9

My natural personality is an introvert.

Now, don't get me wrong, I can hold my own in a room full of people, I can bust some moves on the dance floor at a big bash, and I can manage to run some form of community group, but all this EXHAUSTS me. At the end of it I can't think or speak and I need my bed.

My husband is the opposite, all that stuff ENERGISES him, so at the end of a busy Sunday he wants to chat about everything that's happened that day (i.e. do it all again) and I want to punch him in the face. (N.B. this has never actually happened, mainly cos by that time I can't lift my own arms).

Whether you're an extrovert or an introvert, the life of the party or hiding under the stairs at a party, the Bible makes it clear, 'Offer hospitality...without grumbling'. Or in my case 'Don't SHIRK OFF hospitality'. Just because it's not my natural choice doesn't mean I shouldn't be doing it...and believe me, I've looked long and hard through the Bible to find some wiggle room on this.

However, being an introvert does mean hospitality is different than it is for an extrovert. Here's a few differences I've noticed between me and my husband (but we're by no means the yard stick which should measure this).

Me: "Having people over is stressful"                                vs           

Husband: "Is there ANYONE else we could invite AS WELL??"

Me: "I'm not sure there's enough food?"                             vs                   

Husband: "That doesn't matter, being with others is far more important!"

Me: "Oh no, I'm going to have to TALK to them..."            vs

Husband: "I'm going to have someone else to talk to!"

Me: "can't. speak. any. more. need. bed"                              vs

Husband: "Let's invite some more people over so we can tell them all about the amazing people we just met"

Hospitality is, by nature, hard work, because it involves sacrifice, time and most of all a piece of YOU. Whatever your personality type, it's hard and we all have a limit that says "No more". But the Bible is clear, we still need to do it.

It's often said that the best things in life need to be worked hard for and this is no exception. While it's taken me a long time to actually ENJOY having people invade my life, the benefits of it have been there all along.

Another great Bible verse is in Proverbs 27.

This verse means that other people around us will help us to change and become more like Christ.

For this to happen you do actually need some real life people near you on a regular basis. Since trying to practice biblical hospitality I have become far more reliant on the gospel for my day-to-day life. I actually know I NEED it, because there's no way I'd be able to be doing what we do without it. And that's a good thing. 

We all say we know we need Jesus in our everyday, but most of us (including me) just crack on with what we're doing. Stepping out of your comfort zone, and letting others into you home, shows you how much you need Jesus. 

The off shoot of this first thing is that BECAUSE I now really know I need the gospel, I'm much more able to share the gospel with other people. Because I'm thinking more about Jesus, I find myself talking more about Jesus. And that's a good thing too.

Being an introvert isn't an excuse for not practising hospitality. I wished for a long time it was. But now, I have learned that I shouldn't live without it.