RELIGION

FAITH AND HOSPITALITY By Ananiya Alick Ponje The Bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith binds us with our Creator because when we have faith we believe that whatever He said is true. In fact it is impossible to believe without faith. It is the faith that we possess that impels us to believe that God sent Jesus Christ to die to our sins. On a number of occasions, faith has been mentioned in the Bible as very ‘moving tool’ in all human affairs. Jesus talked of faith as something that can perform things beyond human imagination. He once told His disciples that if only they had a grain of faith as small as a mustard seed, they would command a tree to uproot itself and plant itself in the middle of the sea and that the tree would obey them. When Peter was walking on water towards Jesus who was also walking on the same water, his faith slackened off and he began to sink. He doubted whether it would be possible for him to reach to where Jesus was successfully, yet at first, he had had all the ‘walking faith’ which had now seeped out of him. And when they were together on the sea, and a violent storm blew, they were all afraid and asked Jesus to save them. And He said to them: “Where is your faith?” If only they had enough faith that nothing would happen to them, the storm would have calmed even without the intervention of Christ. During the whole period of His ministry, Jesus’ main aim was to bring salvation to the whole human race. And so he was always willing to render service to all kinds of human beings. In other words, he showed them the best kind of hospitality. He welcomed everyone to His grace and those who acquired enough faith and believed Him were saved. If we practice hospitality to its best, we are eligible of receiving God’s blessings in abundance. Because of faith and hospitality, Abraham was abundantly blessed by being made father of a great nation. Genesis Chapter 18 records how Abraham tended the three angels. He told them to stop by his tent and he gave them water to wash their feet and food to eat. He showed the angels the best kind of hospitality. Then they brought to him good news. He was going to have a son. Abraham believed them even though he was too old to bear a child and his wife Sarah had already passed the menopause. The faith that Abraham had helped him gain God’s favour. His cousin Lot was also saved in Sodom because of faith and religious devotion. God could not forsake him because he had all his faith in Him. Just like the change of mind of Peter on the sea caused him to sink, Lot’s wife also turned into a pillar of salt after she changed her mind and looked back against God’s command. Another example of faith and hospitality is seen in the harlot Rahab. When the spies were sent from Jericho, Rahab hid them in her house so that they might not be killed by the king and the spies were saved. She showed them so much hospitality and finally she was saved. When leaving, the spies gave her a sign: she was to hang a piece of scarlet from her house and they would not destroy all those who occupied the house which would have in it all Rahab’s relations. She did not take for granted the spies’ declaration but did exactly as she had been told. This shows she had faith in them. If today we have enough faith and we show others the best kind of hospitality, God is going to bless us abundantly and many of His favours are going to fall upon our lives. We were called to serve, not to be served. Therefore, we have to serve willingly and with happiness. And if we want to please God, we need to have faith.