Generosity

 “'If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home,' and she (Lydia) prevailed on us." Acts 16:15

Every now and then we come upon a person in the scripture who stops us in our tracks, who makes us think in bigger terms and invites us to change. Lydia is such a woman. Who is this woman in a patriarchal and hierarchical society who owns her own home, and one that was large enough to invite others not only to visit but to stay? Clearly successful as a cloth merchant, she was newly baptized and wanted to offer Paul and Silas a place to rest, eat and be refreshed, and no doubt also wanted to learn more from them about Jesus. Her generosity not only gave Paul and his companions more time to preach God's word, it also have her and her family access to a wisdom and dream that had captured them.

Offering and accepting generosity is an important virtue for believers. Realizing that most of us have more than we need, we learn that giving to others freely, even from our substance, changes us. Likewise, accepting the generosity of others humbles us and keeps us grateful.

Today, be like Lydia. Offering your bounty and person to others with joy.

Whose generosity has touched and shaped you in faith?