Wednesday, May 17
14 A God-fearing woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying. 15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
Acts 16:14-15
Lydia: A Dealer in Purple Cloth
Today, we continue our week-long investigation into the life of Lydia.Acts 16:14 tells us that Lydia was a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira. Lydia's career is mentioned in the text because it is not an incidental detail. In her 1st-century context, this was a lucrative career. Purple goods were expensive and were often a mark of royalty. Thus, it was a happening business. Even the Romans incorporated purple cloth into their clothing and tapestries to signify rank, so the demand for business was plentiful. Not to mention, the process of extracting the dye to create purple cloth was a meticulous process, which involved a large number of mollusks. Therefore, the purple cloth had high demand and a small supply.Considering these contextual elements, we understand that Lydia was a woman of wealth. This is further evidenced by her ability to offer lodging in her home to multiple people as well as host a local church gathering inside of her home.What we do with our money and possessions matters.Think about a ladder with three rungs. Each rung is a way to understand our money and possessions:
- What should I do with my money?
- What does God want me to do with my money?
- What does God want me to do with His money?
Which rung of the ladder do you live your life on? Which of these three questions best expresses your approach to finances?We can either buy tools or your can buy toys. Tools to help build people up or toys for selfish gain. Which will you use your resources for? Lydia was open to use her financial resources for Kingdom work.May we leverage what we have for Kingdom purposes!
