Opening up your Home:

At my mom’s church as well as a recent study of Philippians, I have gotten to learn about a woman that was highlighted named Lydia.  I personally have never learned much about Lydia, but she was actually a very prominent member of the opening and creation of the church in Philippi.  We meet Lydia in Acts chapter 16, and this will be a very fundamental exchange of the mission work for Paul and Timothy.   

We only know a few key descriptions of Lydia. We can gather that she is wealthy, and we can also assume that she is a business woman because we meet Lydia selling purple fabric.  Purple fabric is not the easiest to make because the strong purple dye is not easy to find and create.  Therefore, if she has the ability to possess and sell purple fabric, she most likely is financially secure.  She is also described as a worshiper of God.  However, even when she was a worshiper, we see that God was going to use her in more ways than through her individual worship of Him.   God opened up her ears and her heart to listen to Paul, so she decided to get baptized by them.    

Then she decided to open up her home to the followers of Jesus who also want to share the Gospel with others.  We see this beautifully described in Acts 16:15, “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.”  She used that wealth by opening up her home to those who wanted to discuss and grow the Gospel.  She had hardly known these early church members, but she had a calling of God’s that she wanted to follow.  

Being willing to open up your home to other believers is a great way to serve God.  Some of the best times that I personally have with friends is when I am going to one of their houses and we are just hanging out and watching a movie, crafting, eating supper together, and just having long conversations in a comfortable setting.  I definitely feel closer to a friend or a church member once I am invited into their homes.  I know I am not the only one.  There is something comfortable and inviting about a home.  

I have a friend named Shelly, and she and her husband own a beautiful home. It also takes place on land for their cattle.  It is so attractive that her three sons all wanted to have their weddings take place there.  (I keep telling her that she really needs to make this a wedding reception for a future career on the side.  I don’t know if that will happen though).  One time she said that one of her favorite things to do is to open her home.  She would open up her home for her son’s sports teams and would give them a meal.  She would open up her home to church groups or to those she works with at a Christian nonprofit.  She used her home very wonderfully for God’s work, and that was something that brought her great joy.  

This is also a good reminder and encouragement that God can really truly use people in many different ways.  Some people may offer their home up to church groups all the time, but feels as though they are not doing enough.  I hope that after learning Lydia’s story, that it is not something you are thinking anymore.  Lydia opening up her home was the only reason why the church of Philippi began as well as it did, and it ended up being a big movement of sharing the Gospel.  Lydia used what she had for the good of God, and it became a great movement.  Never feel that what you have to offer God is too small.  

Now, I don’t think that I will necessarily open up my one bedroom apartment to major church groups, but this is a good reminder that I can definitely open up my home to serve others in a meal or could host a small bible study.  I don’t have a lot of space, but I have the ability to bring a few others over to enjoy some time with me in the comfort of my place.  I still have the ability to bring people in, even with the smaller surface area.  

I think that the challenge for the near future is to think of someone who would be good to bring over to your home.  Who is someone that you could make dinner for?  Who is someone that you could have a deep conversation within the comfort of your own home or place?  How could you make your personal place an inviting one?  I think this is a good reflection if we want to be used by God for big things, and the everyday small things such as opening up your home to a neighbor.