What about Lydia?

 

What do you know about Lydia? Have you ever heard of her? Maybe you have but many persons haven’t. Has she been mentioned in any sermons? Perhaps, but for the most part she’s been overlooked.

Long story short…

Apostle Paul had recently met a young Christian named Timothy. Impressed by all the good things believers were saying about Timothy and recognizing that the favour of God was on his life, Paul invited this young man to accompany him on his city tour, going from town to town to newly established churches where they gave the believers the rules and decisions from the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. They told them to obey these rules. So the churches were becoming stronger in their faith, and the number of believers was growing every day. (Acts 16:4-5 ERV).

One night, Paul experiences a supernatural vision of a man beckoning him to come to Macedonia. Even though this place was not on his schedule, Paul immediately responds to the call and goes to the leading city in that part of Macedonia, a roman colony called Philippi and spends a few days spreading the Gospel.

On the Sabbath Day, Paul and the others who were travelling with him, went outside of the city gates to find a special place where some people met for prayer on a riverbank and that is where his encounter with Lydia occurred. She was with a group of other ladies sitting on the riverbank chatting and Paul took the opportunity to talk with them.

Lydia was a businesswoman from the city of Thyatira, a centre of commerce in the Roman province of Asia who lived in Philippi. She was a seller of Purple, a very costly dye extracted from a marine mollusc that gave out a milk like fluid that turned purple or scarlet on contact with air when crushed.

We aren’t told too much about Lydia, but from her trade we can deduce that she must have been a woman of great wealth. What we are told is that Lydia was already a worshiper of God who listened intently to Paul, and as she listened, the Lord opened her heart and she accepted all that Paul was saying (ref. Acts 16:14).

That day Lydia experienced a conversion and in this regard so did Paul, as she was his first convert.

When Lydia went to the special place of prayer by the riverside that Sabbath day, she never could have suspected that her life would be forever changed. This was a pivotal moment for them both and for the ministry’s development at Philippi.

Lydia and her entire household were then baptized after which she urged Paul and his fellow missionaries to make her home their headquarters in Philippi (ref. v 15) and according to verse forty, before they left, it was where they met with the believers and preached to them.

Yet another barely mentioned protagonist who played a crucial role in the growth of the Kingdom. Additionally in Philippians 4:15-17 (GW) it is written,

You Philippians also know that in the early days, when I left the province of Macedonia to spread the Good News, you were the only church to share your money with me. You gave me what I needed, and you received what I gave you. Even while I was in Thessalonica, you provided for my needs twice. It’s not that I’m looking for a gift. The opposite is true. I’m looking for your resources to increase.

Lydia’s generous hospitality may have been the catalyst for this unique financial relationship between the Philippian church and Paul.

Beloved, in this season of Lent, let us be encouraged by this brief encounter with Lydia, a faithful follower of Jesus who allowed Him to open her heart to receive and accept His message. Let us be generous in our hospitality and in our giving to others and towards the building up of His Kingdom here on earth.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “What about Lydia?” ©2026 March 6, 2026