In the words of Groucho Marx, "You can learn alot from Lydia!"
We can learn an awful lot about this woman from Thyatira, who is the first recorded European Christian, from these few verses. And amazingly, she is exhibiting almost all of the qualities of the Acts 2 church! (Just a side note, her name may or may not have actually been Lydia, since the town she is from is in the Turkish region of Lydia. It's possible that she was a woman FROM Lydia, not named Lydia. It's possible that Euodia or Syntyche - or even Clement - mentioned in Philippians 4 could refer to this woman, but I digress.)
So how does her short story mirror the Acts 2 church?
- She believed Paul's message and was baptized.
- She was obviously hungry to know more about Jesus and Christianity because she was meeting to pray together.
- She shared the good news with her family (who were also baptized).
- She gave generously, here inviting Paul and his friends to stay in her house.
- Later on, in verse 40, she is also Paul and Silas' host when they leave prison.
She was instrumental in founding the church in Philippi. At the beginning of Philippians, Paul says to that body:
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
And at the end of the book, Paul mentions that the church should "help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel," reaffirming how important this group of women were in the beginning of the church.
She was a maker of cloth. A working woman who opened her home to a man declaring the gospel. She was living her faith each and every day, even after Paul had left and wrote a letter back some time later. And by doing these things, she made a huge impact on the Christian church both in her immediate community and for all time.
DAILY CHALLENGE: How are you living your faith every day? Is your home and heart open to God's service? Are you a leader in your community? Do you work to make your church one that would cause someone to "Thank God every day" for it?
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