4:9
Hospitality is another trait that receives mention in the Bible, eg Titus 1:8, 1 Tim 3:2, Heb 13:2. It is an important qualification for leadership in the church, and the writer of Hebrews says some have entertained angels by showing hospitality, a reference to what Abraham did. We are to do this without grumbling. There can be an over protectiveness about our privacy, or our own time. We need a change of heart. At the same time we also need to remember that Jesus sought times of solitude with His Father. We too need to have times alone with the Father, and also to devote time to our immediate family. We need to have a balance.
4:10
Natural man, and the way of the world, is to be self-centred. The Christian way is to be God centred and other people centred. The gifts we have, whether they be skills and abilities or resources, are to be used to serve others, not to just for our benefit. If I have a gift it has not been given to me so that I can make a name for myself, but so I can serve God and others. Notice also the word gift, it implies that it was given to me. We know that all the abilities we have were not created by us, they were given to us by God. Now we have a responsibility to nurture, develop and use them, and we see here how God works. We are completely dependent upon Him for everything, but then He gives us responsibility and freedom in using the things He gives to us. So we are to live as faithful stewards of God’s gifts. This is a vital part of our world view.
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