Opening Your Heart

”Opening Your Heart”

Acts 16:9-15

            Lydia was from the city of Thyatira and was a merchant to people with money. She sold purple cloth, a colour most often worn by royalty and yet she was different than many of the people who had listened to Paul’s story of Jesus. She worshiped God and she listened attentively to the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. And she believed. It was God who opened her heart to listen eagerly to the words of Paul. She believed and she and her household were baptized by Paul and his followers. Lydia also welcomed them into her home because she challenged them about her faithfulness. God had opened her heart to be faithful and she opened her home to the faithful leadership of Paul.

            But what does opening one’s heart really mean in light of understanding of faith, commitment, and trust today. Often we hear of people who are in relationship with each other and how they open their heart to each other with the hope of long lasting love. Not always does this work out positively as hearts are broken. But what is really important in this is that there is a willingness to be vulnerable, to trust, to explore a relationship and to grow in this relationship with another.

God enabled Lydia’s heart to be open to the message of the Spirit as Paul told Jesus’ story of his passion, death and resurrection. Her heart was open as she was seeking to listen and desired more knowledge as she experienced Christ’s love. And she was new to faith and her excitement was shared with her household and all were baptized as believers! All because God opened Lydia’s heart to listen and to receive the Spirit she and her household were forever changed.

Has God opened your heart to receive Christ’s Spirit? Has God enabled you to listen to Christ’s story of unconditional love? Have you received God’s blessing and love?  Are you willing to share of yourself and your love of Christ? This is a test of faith and a means of how we may grow in God’s grace and love.  Why not ask God right now to open your heart so that you will listen and know (again) Jesus?

PRAYER

Holy God, open my heart to listen to your Word for me today. Enable me to breathe and be calm knowing that your Spirit guides me each day. And help me to learn more about you in your Word just as Lydia did. Open my heart and enable me to receive you. SILENCE> Amen.

            BLOG QUESTION:

Lydia was a worshiper of God and had been listening to Paul as he taught. God opened her heart to listen with an even more eager heart. She became very faithful to God and to the message of Jesus Christ. How eager are you to listen to Christ’s message to love and to receive His peace as you share with others with hope and joy? How willing are you to seek to grow in your relationship with Jesus? These are the questions which call us to be vulnerable, to be humble and yet they also call us to rejoice in faith and with hope. How do you respond to these ideas?