We all like to be first. I remember as a child when the teacher would tell us to line up to go to lunch, outside to play, or to get on the bus to go home. I was eager and ready to race to the front of the line. I liked being the first. In the book of Acts, we find the first person to become a Christian in Europe. Her name was Lydia.
In Acts 16:12, we find that Lydia was living in Philippi. This was not the most significant city, but it was an important one for trade and those of status. Paul sails there on his first missionary journey and meets a group of women by the riverside. One of those was Lydia. Lydia believed in God but had never heard about Jesus. She was not a Jew by birth, but at some time in her life, she was introduced to the God of the Jews. Yet, she did not know Jesus. There are many people in the world today who worship God. However, if they have not accepted Jesus as their personal Savior, the Son of God, God in the flesh, come down from Heaven, then they will not inherit eternal life. The person who rejects the Son is condemned to eternal Hell. The commentator Albert Barns says, “There is no condemnation so terrible as this – that God disapproves our conduct, and that he will express his disapprobation. He will judge according to truth and woe to that man whose conduct God cannot approve.”
John 3:18 “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
Lydia was like many women today. She was a working woman, independent, and probably the sole household support. There is no mention of a family, just those who lived in her house. This could have been extended family, such as parents, grandparents, siblings, or servants. At this time, it could have included business associates. Belonging to a household gave a sense of security and identity. She was very influential as a businesswoman. She was a seller of purple fabric. At this time in history, purple dye was very expensive due to the materials used to make it.
When Paul sat down by the river to speak to the women who were there to pray and worship, Lydia was listening. God was already preparing her heart to accept the gospel. She listened and believed in Jesus. There was no hesitation about how this might affect her business or household. She was committed to doing what was right.
In verse 15, we see that Lydia wasted no time showing God how much she loved Him and how thankful she was for Jesus. She brings all that dwelled in her home to be baptized. We don’t know about their salvation, but we know that if they lived in her home, they would follow her God. She also immediately opened her home to Paul and those traveling with him to come and lodge in her home. It says she constrained them, meaning she was not taking no for an answer. God had blessed her, and she wanted to use all she had for His glory.
Act 16:12-15 “And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days. And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.”
There is much we can learn from Lydia.
- She was a seeker. She had sought God in the past and was open to all He had for her. When presented with His Son, she believed and accepted Him. In Luke 11:9-10 Jesus said, “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”
- She shared Jesus with her household. She did not think about how she would tell them. She just did it.
- She accepted responsibility for those in her home and brought them to be baptized. We, too, share the responsibility of those under our roof. We will give an account for what we allow in our homes when we stand before God.
- She used her resources to serve God and others. She immediately opened her home to Paul and his companions. We, too, are to invite others to share in what we have. We are to open our homes to missionaries, pastors, and those seeking lodging while away from their homes serving God.
It is time to examine yourself. Are you a seeker? If you don’t know Jesus, now is the time. If you do, you must keep seeking to bring others to Him. Seek to know Him better. Seek to use all you have for Him and make sure those who live in your home or you have influence over know about your Savior.
So, how did you stack up as a Lydia? These attributes are qualities God expects all of us to exhibit no matter what we have or don’t have. It is time we all were a Lydia.
