By Rev. Dr. Richard C. Steinlechner
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In Acts 16:14 there is a reference to a woman by the name of Lydia. Listen to what the Scriptures say about her: “One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.”
Lydia is one of the finest characters of the New Testament. She was a businesswoman. She had a home, but her responsibility went beyond being a homemaker. She is engaged in the business world. Because Lydia was in business, her story sounds very modern.
In those days she was in a small minority, but if she was living today she would find herself a part of a vast group of professional women involved in the same vocations as men, and the number of woman involved in businesses, other than homemaking, is increasing as each day goes by.
There was a time when about the only honorable vocation open to women was that of a housewife and mother. But now, thanks to the power of Christ’s Gospel, women have come upon a better day.
They have found liberty. There was a time in history when a woman had to marry in order to have a home. Today this is not necessary. A woman is completely capable of earning her own way, and Lydia was one of the first to break that barrier.
Though she was wealthy and successful, she still had a strong faith. She was a worshipper of God. But, there wasn’t another Christian in the entire city of Philippi. But, there was a small prayer meeting held each week out on a river bank, some miles from the city. It was a quiet affair with just a few people, but Lydia faithfully went each week. She had developed a habit of attending those prayer meetings. Her opportunities may have been meager, but she faithfully embraced each opportunity as it came within her reach.
One morning she arose early and headed out to the river bank, just like she always did on the Sabbath. She didn’t expect anything marvelous to happen that day. She didn’t know that an event was going to take place that morning that would make her name remembered throughout the centuries. It was on this day that God chose to lead her into the fullness of His light.
It was on this day that Lydia accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. A preacher by the name of Paul came into town that morning. He had no thought whatsoever of attending a prayer meeting, or of speaking to a woman named Lydia. As he came into Philippi, he decided to go to this prayer meeting that was being held along the river.
Paul must have been terribly disappointed as he sat down on the river bank and saw the audience gathered there. There were a mere handful of women. Every preacher loves a crowd. A crowd represents a great opportunity to tell more people about Christ.
I’m sure his heart dropped a little when he saw the small group of people. A large audience inspires and creates enthusiasm and generates hope. But here was only a pitiful little handful, possibly not more than half a dozen. His ability to ignore the size of the crowd really shows our stupidity in thinking we need a large crowd to accomplish something great for God.
What did Paul do in the presence of this insignificant audience? He simply looked for an opportunity to help. He sat down among these women and talked. He did what the least gifted and the most timid of us can do: He spoke face to face and heart to heart about the things that were fundamental in his own life.
The Lord opened Lydia’s heart that day, and she believed. That is the story of the beginning of Christianity in Europe. Lydia became the very first Christian on that continent.
There is a lesson here for the Christian worker. Never look down on what appears to us to be a small thing for the Lord. We do not know what eternal importance God might have in mind. God’s thoughts are so much greater than our thoughts.
The Rev. Dr. Richard C. Steinlechner is pastor of New Lebanon Community Church.
