{"id":1233,"date":"2016-09-18T20:15:33","date_gmt":"2016-09-19T00:15:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/?p=1233"},"modified":"2016-12-02T19:38:05","modified_gmt":"2016-12-03T00:38:05","slug":"surest-path-happiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/2016\/09\/surest-path-happiness.html","title":{"rendered":"The Surest Path to Happiness"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"hospitality\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The greatest teachers\u00a0of the Bible did not tell stories. They did not simply proclaim laws.<\/p>\n

They lived what they taught. They also invited others into it.<\/p>\n

Think of people from whom you learned. Did they just say things? Or did they live them? The most important things are not always taught<\/em>. They are caught<\/em>. One of those values is hospitality.<\/p>\n

Hospitality as a Way of Life<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Hebrew, the language of the Bible, hospitality is known as Hachnasat Orchim<\/i>. The phrase means \u201cwelcoming guests.\u201d This translation does not, however, do justice to the force of the Hebrew words themselves.<\/p>\n

Welcoming guests is\u00a0not just a nice thing to do. It is\u00a0not simply a display of good manners. It is not even something we do because we want to be good role models for our children or our community.<\/p>\n

Hospitality is a way of life.<\/em>\u00a0And it is that brings happiness and joy.<\/p>\n

How to Make Your Home Welcoming<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the middle ages Jewish practice was to build a door on all four sides of one’s\u00a0house so that a guest \"house\"<\/a>would have no hassle coming in.<\/p>\n

This custom suggests that our concern in maintaining our home should be not be the decor inside. It is\u00a0not the landscaping or architecture of the home. Our concern is that we not make it too difficult for people to visit.<\/p>\n

Front-Porch People<\/strong><\/p>\n

That custom seems out of place today. \u00a0Today, as cultural anthropologists have pointed out, we tend to spend our time in the backyard rather than front porch.<\/p>\n

The backyard is more private, and is frequently fenced in. It does not lend itself to the casual conversation and openness of the front porch.<\/p>\n

The Bible, however,\u00a0tells us be a\u201cfront-porch people.\u201d Rather than not turn our home into a fortress, we can turn it into an oasis, a place of conversation and kindness.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, hospitality creates community. It builds empathy. It opens up our lives and creates the enduring that lead to happiness and satisfaction.<\/p>\n

How Do You Practice Hospitality in Your Life?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Are You Christian? Get Your Free Jewish Holidays Cheat Sheet.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The greatest teachers\u00a0of the Bible did not tell stories. They did not simply proclaim laws. They lived what they taught. They also invited others into it. Think of people from whom you learned. Did they just say things? Or did they live them? The most important things are not always taught. They are caught. One…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":507,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Surest Path to Happiness - Truths You Can Use<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Surest Path to Happiness - Truths You Can Use\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The greatest teachers\u00a0of the Bible did not tell stories. They did not simply proclaim laws. They lived what they taught. They also invited others into it. Think of people from whom you learned. Did they just say things? Or did they live them? 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