Hospitality: Lydia
Influencers in the Wild: Lessons from Lydia's Life
In a culture obsessed with platforms and followers, we often overlook the quiet influencers who make profound impacts without fame or recognition. While we know plenty about biblical figures with "blue check marks" like Peter and Paul, there are countless unnamed heroes whose stories deserve attention.
Today, we're looking at Lydia, an "influencer in the wild" whose brief appearance in Acts 16 reveals powerful lessons about authentic influence.
Who Was Lydia?
Lydia appears in Acts 16:11-15 when Paul and his missionary team arrive in Philippi. This moment is historically significant as it marks the first time the Gospel reaches European shores. When Paul can't find a synagogue in Philippi, he discovers a group of women praying by the river, including Lydia.
The text tells us three key things about her:
She was "a worshiper of God" (a Gentile drawn to the Jewish faith)
She was "a seller of purple goods from Thyatira" (a successful businesswoman)
She had a bold personality that "prevailed upon" Paul and his team
What Makes Someone Truly Influential?
It's easy to think influence comes from what we put in our social media bios or on our resumes. But Lydia's story reveals something deeper:
"A well-framed shot of yourself posted online is not influence. The number of people that like a reel you created is not influence. The bullet points on your resume do not equal influence."
True influence comes from what's beneath the surface - the spiritual and eternal things happening in our hearts. Lydia's story reveals three practices that create genuine influence:
How Do I Develop Spiritual Influence Like Lydia?
1. Show Up With a Seeking Heart
Lydia had every reason not to pursue faith. She lived in a city with no synagogue or established faith community. Yet she created her own prayer group that met by the river every Sabbath.
There will always be reasons to stay distant from faith communities - we're tired, busy, disagree with something, or have family obligations. But showing up consistently with a seeking heart is the first step toward both being changed and having influence.
This is what we're seeing in the current revival among Gen Z - they're attending church 19% more often than their parents and grandparents. They're showing up seeking God, and it's creating worldwide influence.
2. Surrender to God's Word and Will
The text says "the Lord opened her heart to pay attention" to Paul's message. Lydia presented her seeking heart, and God did His part by opening her understanding. Her response was immediate baptism.
Baptism isn't something we achieve but something we receive. It's not a work we do but a surrender we make. Lydia didn't debate or delay - she simply surrendered to God's will.
Influence starts with surrender. When we daily surrender to God's word and will, we position ourselves to influence others.
3. Leverage What You Already Have
Many Christians pray: "Lord, to influence others, I need a bigger platform, a higher position, more money, a bigger home..." But Lydia didn't emerge from baptism seeking more. She used what she already had for God's glory.
God has already given you everything you need to influence someone's life. You just need to leverage it. Lydia leveraged:
Her faith - She immediately shared with her household, who were all baptized
Her comforts - She opened her home to Paul and his team, making it the gathering place for the Philippian church
Her wealth - She became a key financial supporter of Paul's church-planting ministry
The Philippian church became one of the most generous congregations in the New Testament, supporting Paul's work in multiple cities. This all started with Lydia's willingness to leverage what she had.
Life Application
You may never be a famous podcaster, write a book, plant a church, or preach to thousands. But you can do what Lydia did:
Seek the Lord consistently - Show up even when you have reasons not to
Surrender fully - Don't just understand God's word but submit to it
Leverage what you have - Use your faith, comforts, and resources for Kingdom impact
Ask yourself:
What excuses am I making that keep me from showing up consistently in faith?
What areas of my life am I hesitant to surrender to God's will?
What resources has God already given me that I could leverage for greater influence?
The world doesn't need more Christian celebrities. It needs more ordinary Christians who seek Him, surrender to Him, and leverage what they have for His glory. This is how we change the world - one life, one household, one neighborhood at a time.
