BIBLE READING: ACTS 16
14 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.
15 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 are some things we need to learn from Lydia, not only that affect our life, but the lives of our “household”:
SHE HAD OPEN EARS
“And a certain woman named Lydia…..heard us”. We must be willing to listen. We must be willing to hear instruction. We must be willing to admit that maybe we need to change some things. Being a preacher, I often experience people that just will not hear. It’s not that they do not have ears, it’s just that they do not listen. Lydia’s life was changed by the truth she heard, and the most important thing is that she was willing to hear it.
SHE HAD AN OPEN HEART
“Whose heart the Lord opened”. She was willing to change. She was willing to hear instruction and humble enough to apply instruction. When God gets our hearts, He gets our wallets, our future, our plans, our resources, and our homes. When God gets our heart, He gets everything.
SHE HAD AN OPEN MIND
“She attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.” This Greek word “attended” means to hold the mind towards, to pay attention to, be cautious about, to apply oneself to, to adhere to. So many people hear the truth, know that it’s right, know that they need to change, and yet never decide to do it. Somehow in their mind, they never really obey.
SHE HAD AN OPEN HOME
15 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.
Notice the way she treated the disciples is exactly how our home should treat the Lord. Our home should be a place where God is INVITED. She said, “come into my house”. Our home should be a place where God INDWELLS. She said, “abide there”. She wanted them to stay. Not just visit temporarily but to stay. That’s how we should feel about the Lord. Our home should be a place where God is IMPORTANT. This passage says she “constrained” them. That means she would not let them go. The most important thing in her life was for them to teach her the truth. We should “constrain” Christ today to be in every aspect of our life. Do not let Him leave!