Since good manners are nothing more than making people feel at ease, good manners may mean working to convey warmth as we answer the phone for the umpteenth time. They may mean not giving up our bedroom if we sense this extra fussing is going to embarrass guests and they would really prefer sleeping on a cot.
For the Christian, good manners mean having the same hospitable spirit demonstrated by Christ—His openness, His eager reception of all humanity and their burdens, every demonstration of His love and grace. To aid us, we have the promise of His presence through the Holy Spirit.
We have been inhabited by the hospitable Christ. Like Him, we can be hospitable in rooms without walls, in kitchens without counters. We each can develop the ability to put at ease all who come our way. This whole world is our home into which we can welcome God’s creation.
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Karen Mains has long had an interest in Christian hospitality and is the author of the best-selling book, Open Heart, Open Home.
An award-winning author of several other books, Karen continues to write content for her Christian blog, “Thoughts-by-Karen-Mains.” In so doing, she desires to touch the lives of Christian women and men and help them find ways to walk closer with the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, through silent retreats, spiritual teaching, women’s retreats, Christian vacation opportunities, and other ministry activities, Karen helps each Christian woman and man receive vital spiritual food.
For decades, Karen Mains and her husband, David, have served God through religious communications—radio, television, and print publication. The are the co-authors of the Kingdom Tales Trilogy: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. To find many valuable resources for pastors and churches at the Mainstay Ministries main website, please click here.
In addition, pastors will find special resources to help them create effective, life-transforming Sunday sermons by visiting David Mains’ website by clicking here.
Through her Hungry Souls ministry, Karen serves as a spiritual coach to many Christian women and men, and teaches a mentor-writing class. And, through the Global Bag Project, she is working to develop a network of African women who sew exquisite cloth reusable shopping bags. This microfinance women opportunity helps provide a much-needed sustainable income for struggling African families. For more information on this critically important project, please click here.
