“Come Lord Jesus, Be Our Guest . . .”

“Come Lord Jesus, be our guest and let your gifts to us be blessed.”

As I grew up, my family said this prayer at dinner each evening before dinner, and I still use it regularly at meals. Recently it occurred to me how appropriate it would be to say it before just about any activity. How might my words and actions be different if I invited Jesus to be my guest as I sat down at my desk at work? How might I view people differently if Jesus were my guest as I did errands? How much more peace would I have if Jesus were my guest during the doctor visit?

Unvited guests might not be welcome, so polite people don’t barge in. Jesus certainly could “barge” into our lives, overwhelming us with his glory or terrorizing us with his power. And, sometimes, he does use pain or crisis to get our attention. But, mostly, he is “polite.” He waits to be invited in, like a loving parent who waits for a stubborn child to be open to their help. Also like the loving parent that he is, Jesus never tires of being invited into each and every part of our lives. Where might you and I invite him in today?

Some invited guests are more welcome than others. Jesus is a wonderful guest. He joins in, interacts, laughs and cries with us, listens and speaks. When Jesus is our guest, life is never boring. It’s an adventure. How does Jesus want to interact with me today? 

And Jesus is a guest who always brings gifts. Many gifts, every day and every hour. Gifts to be enjoyed and gifts to help in our work. Gifts to comfort, refresh and strengthen. The more we notice those gifts, give thanks for them, and put them to work, the more of a blessing they are! What gifts can I thank God for today? 

Come Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let your gifts to us be blest. Amen.”

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