On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. -Acts 16:13, 14
Take note of what the Scripture says in verse 14: “One of those listening was a woman named Lydia...” Lydia was paying attention when the Word of God was being taught and preached. She possessed a heart that was attentive to anything and everything that the Spirit of God sought to reveal to her. Remember that God is always speaking to us. The question is, are we willing to stop and listen? Anyone that desires to have a heart for God must be attentive to what the Lord has to say to us. When Paul the Apostle was preaching and teaching, Lydia was open and attentive to what was being said. Here we see a powerful discipline at work in the life of a believer: being able to focus upon and carry out our priorities. I wonder how many women reading this are list makers? I mean, you enter into just about every task, whether it’s cleaning the house or going to the grocery with your list in your hand. Ladies, be wary of the man who says he’s going to the grocery, and when you ask him about his grocery list, he responds with, “I’ve got it all up here.” He says as he taps his forehead. He will return with everything but what you wanted him to buy – lot’s of snacks, cupcakes, doughnuts, soft drinks, and cheese-its. I find that most women, even if they only have to buy three items at the store they are going to make a list. For most men, we don’t trust any man who is making a list about anything – except Santa Claus. For any other man list-making equals weakness.
I hope I am not reading too much into this and stepping too far from the text, but something tells me that Lydia was a list maker. How else could she have managed a thriving fabric business and still have time to sit by the riverside and take part in a lengthy worship service? She obviously was taking life seriously, but she also was taking her faith in God seriously. The Bible says that she was already a worshiper of the Living God. Her heart was more than ready to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ and she did. And having come to faith in Jesus, she began to take her faith with the utmost seriousness.
Faith in the Lord Jesus is not something we just sort of tack onto the end of our lives. To become a person with a heart for God we will have to follow this Biblical example and be attentive to what the Lord has to say to us. Be careful not to enter haphazardly into our walk with Christ, but rather follow Him with zeal, earnestness, and a serious mindset. What is more important than a relationship with Christ?
