In this season of sweaters, soup pots, and candlelight, it’s connection that echoes the embracing hospitality of Christ. Jesus was never too hurried to make room for people. Whether sharing meals, sitting with outcasts, or offering rest to the weary, He pursued others with a radically inclusive, deeply personal, and profoundly transformational hospitality.  

We see that same flavor of ministry mirrored in the story of Lydia, who we meet in Acts 16. A successful businesswoman from Thyatira, Lydia was a worshiper of God and her heart was open to receive truth. As Paul and his companions shared the message of Jesus near the river outside Philippi, Lydia listened and believed. Scripture tells us that “the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message” (Acts 16:14b, NIV). Immediately after her baptism, she did something equally significant: she opened her home.

Lydia’s story reminds us that hospitality is not merely about food or houses. It’s about the heart. She saw her home as more than a private space for comfort. It became a sacred space for the gospel. By welcoming Paul and his companions into her home, she created an environment where fellowship, discipleship, and ministry could flourish. Her hospitality was a living witness of her new faith.

In a world that often values our personal space above community and connection, Lydia’s story is both countercultural and Christlike. True hospitality is not about the “Insta-worthy” picture of entertaining, it’s about inviting others into our ordinary lives with extraordinary love. Opening your home to others might seem like a small gesture, but it can be a profound act of evangelism. A shared meal, a warm seat, or a listening ear can all create moments where hearts soften and conversations turn toward Christ. People who feel loved and seen are more open to hear about the One who knows them fully and loves them eternally.

Jesus modeled hospitality: eating with sinners, reclining at tables with tax collectors, and washing the feet of His disciples. Lydia followed in His footsteps. Her welcome was not just social, it was spiritual. Her home became a hub for the early Church, showing that her hospitality had ripple effects in the growth of the gospel. When we open our homes, we mirror the hospitality of Christ, who invites all people to come, find rest, and be transformed.

Dig Deeper

Is the Lord leading you to stretch beyond your comfort zone? Start small. Leave a seat open at your table, literally or figuratively, for someone new. Host a simple dinner with a neighbor you don’t know well. Use the season’s warmth to start spiritual conversations and watch what the Lord will do. 

Prayer

Lord, thank you for the example of Lydia. Open our hearts as you opened hers. Help us to see our homes as sacred spaces, places where your love can be experienced, and your gospel can be shared. Make us people who welcome others not just into our houses, but into our lives, so that through our hospitality, many may come to know You. Amen.

Daily Readings

Flower Illustration by Lan Truong | Scripture Illustration by Frieda Ruh | This article was originally titled “Home Is Where The Heart Is” in the October 2025 issue of Peer Magazine.