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"Women in the Bible: Examples of Pastoral Care" Part 2 of 3 from the Winter 2016 Vision Newsletter
Sometimes you may hold yourself back from getting involved because you feel like you have nothing to offer, but as followers of Jesus, you can be assured that you've been blessed with spiritual gifts and therefore have all you need to jump in and help others. In addition to your spiritual gifts, take stock of all else you have been blessed with: your house, car, job, etc...and remember that you have been blessed to be a blessing. Allow the example of Lydia to encourage you to become an effective steward of all you have been given so that you can become a blessing to others. Lydia lived in Thyatira and was a producer and seller of purple dye. Due to the water in the area being so well-adapted for dyeing, no other place could produce this unique type of purple cloth. The purple dye made the city universally renown and very prosperous. As a producer of this dye, Lydia became a successful business woman and was able to own a spacious home that was cared for by servants.
In Acts 16 we can read how Lydia came to faith in Jesus Christ as God opened her heart to the Gospel she heard about from Paul's preaching. Her transformation of life was evidenced by her eagerness to give Christian missionaries shelter in her home. She displayed her love for Jesus through the kindness she showed for others and her willingness to share what she had been blessed with to further the work of the early Church. Even Paul and Silas' imprisonment for being accused of causing trouble in the city did not deter her from serving and receiving them into her home after their release. As a business woman, welcoming these prisoners back into her home may have not been the best plan, but she recognized that salvation work was more valuable. Whether it is opening your home for a small group, forming a women's or men's ministry, or assisting in mission work, there are many opportunities to share what you have been given for the glory of God.