Her name was Lydia. She was a smart and successful businesswoman in the fabric industry. Her clients were societyās elite. She was not married. Yet her European house was large and filled with people. Miss Independent had brains AND bank. A great listener, she loved getting together with other women, especially out in nature.
Lydia worshiped God, likely out of religious obligation. That was not enough (it never is). Thankfully, she had an open heart. And a famous speaker of the Gospel brought about her conversion from religious rule follower to a passionate Christ follower. Before, she believed in God, but now she was in love with Him!
Lydia was a persuasive woman. Her transformation from pew-warmer to Christ-lover was so real. She must tell everyone she knew! She enthusiastically ran home and spread the contagious good news to her household, and they got baptized as she had! Lydia demonstrated hospitality by laying out the welcome mat and inviting missionaries over to her mansion.
Have you ever heard of Lydia? She gets a whopping 2 verses written about her in the Bible. Go to Acts 16. There she is. And that guy who was responsible for the 1st English convert? The infamous Paul of the New Testament.
How can Lydia apply to us, a modern-day entrepreneur who is not a dealer in purple cloth who lives in a mansion? Who cares about some lady in history that got saved?
I think we can be encouraged that we can affect others for Godās Kingdom! Instead of a ālittle olā meā mentality, we realize that God desires to use us by gifting us in unique ways so we can witness to others! Lydia realized she was going through the motions of God-in-a-box religion but wanted more. It is not enough to just learn about God or even to just believe in God. She already had Him in her head, but now she allowed Him into her heart!
And what follows faith is ACTION. She was itching to get home and have her household fall in love with the Savior too. In addition, she insisted that a gaggle of missionaries stay at her home to serve and care for them.
Oh, and by the way, she was a single lady. No one is sure if she was widowed or never married, but she made the time to meet with friends, to pray, to evangelize and to serve.
Letās be like Lydia. Letās be WOMEN OF INFLUENCE!
And not for ourselves, but for the Lord. Letās ask the Holy Spirit to ignite an unquenchable fire within so that we do not rely on our own efforts. Ask God for help prioritizing so that we have time to spend with Him and ways to serve others. We donāt need to wait and get our act together to do this. When fully submitting to Him, we have the energy and the direction to start acting!
Guest Writer:
Debbie Baisden is a remarried widow who went from hating salads and avoiding sweat, to loving nutrition and fitness. A crazy mom of four boys, her days are filled with volume, wildness, and destruction. She lives in North Carolina and loves cuddling their rescue dogs, joking with her kids, and watching trash TV with her husband. Staying anchored in Jesus, her focus is āIn His strength and for His glory.ā
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