One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.” Acts‬ ‭16:14-15‬ ESV

Scripture does not supply us with any information regarding Lydia’s background apart from the fact that she lived in Thyatira which was one of the Macedonian colonies. Thyatira was conspicuous for its many guilds which were united by common pursuits and religious rites. One of these guilds was that of dyers. The water of the area was so well-adapted for dyeing, and the unique purple dye of Thyatira brought the city universal renown. This is the atmosphere that Lydia found her self in. According to Acts 16:14, Lydia was a well-known seller of this product making her an example of a successful business woman in a prosperous city.

I believe there are several observations about Lydia that make her a great example of faith. First, she is labeled as a worshipper of God. No one knows for sure if she was of Jewish descent. Most speculate she wasn’t due to her name and where she lived. Most in Thyatira wanted nothing to do with the God of Israel. It was a center of Greek paganism and the worship of many other gods, mainly Apollo. The fact that she worshipped the God of Israel made her set apart from the crowd and willing to be different for her convictions.

A second observation about Lydia is that she was actively seeking out the things of God. In verse 13 Paul said that they went to a place of prayer by the riverside on the sabbath day. Lydia was there. She was a woman of prayer, not afraid to be seen among other believers, outside the gates of the city wall. She risked a lot for her faith…to be active in her faith. This is where she met Jesus. As a worshipper of God, Lydia only knew him in part. In Jesus, we get a much fuller picture of who God is, since Jesus is the full embodiment of God’s holiness and character and love.

Thirdly, Lydia responded to the gospel without hesitation. As Paul preached, she soaked it all in. The Holy Spirit moved in her and when it did, she took the call to be baptized, making her public confession of her faith in Jesus.

Lastly, Lydia showed her love for others. She most likely contributed to her family’s salvation and baptism and immediately requested that those carrying the gospel come to her home to be taken care of. Her faith becomes action in the form of her generous hospitality. She maintained that hospitality by continuing to take care of Christians after this original encounter. After Paul and Silas got out of prison (for preaching the gospel) they went to see her where many brothers and sisters in Christ were. It is very likely that Lydia had started a home church there.

“Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.” Philippians‬ ‭4:3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

In Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi, he asked for the prayers and support for the women who had labored beside him in the furthering of the gospel. Lydia was undoubtedly one of them. Her presence and example would continue to carry on. Her life was spent for the gospel of Jesus. Today, she is regarded as one of the greatest women of faith among the Orthodox Christian church, which has its roots in region Lydia called home.