Positioned for Purpose

Have you ever felt like there’s more for you to do in life? You are doing what you can, yet your heart desires more. Have you encountered obstacles, challenges, fears, heartaches, heartbreaks, losses, chaos, or confusion? Yet, do you hear a small inner voice that tells you that despite all of that, there is still something greater waiting for you?

Both my hands are raised as I respond to these questions. I recall a few personal instances of grave concern and devastation. These personal experiences drew me to Lydia, found in the book of Acts chapter 16. I’ve been studying her life for about three years now. Last spring I had the distinct pleasure of teaching a group from my church about her while standing at the riverbank in Philippi where she would have received Jesus as her Lord and Savior and been baptized as a public demonstration of her faith. To say I geeked out is an understatement! What I admire about her is that as a widow and mother, she took care of those in her household while also being a savvy and successful businesswoman. The trials, heartaches, and tragedies in my life have brought me into a deep connection with the life and ministry of Lydia, which continues to have a profound impact on my life even today.

The first personal instance that drew me to Lydia was when our youngest child went into a febrile seizure at age three while we were out shopping for a home. Our child went completely lifeless before our eyes. I found myself in the middle of the street grabbing hands with strangers who had witnessed the incident, calling down heaven in prayer on behalf of my child who, on all accounts, appeared to be dead. The paramedics later affirmed that was the case, but God brought him back. He is now nearing college graduation and has a Christian clothing brand to help fund missionary work. When all I could do was stand, I stood on Psalms 121:1 and prayed with my eyes toward heaven from where my strength comes.

Another monumental and challenging time was when my husband was experiencing renal failure and needed a kidney transplant, and the doctors prepared me to be a single mother of three. His kidney function levels were rapidly declining and although he made it onto the transplant list, we were told that he would probably be on the list for at least five years because of his rare blood type.

Faced with the need to be my family’s sole provider, I returned to school to get a master’s degree in school administration to become an assistant principal or principal. I never aspired to those roles, but when it mattered most, I used what God gave me to go to the next level despite my fears and feelings. Although I have believed in God my entire life and received salvation at the age of thirteen, I had yet to experience the goodness of God the way I did during this particular season.

Two years ago, I experienced a gut-wrenching and heart-crushing loss when my beloved mother relocated to heaven after living with dementia for over a decade. My dear family and I served as her caregivers, and she lived with us for four of her last five years of life. Although it became evident that she was fading away, nothing--including all prior family and friends’ deaths combined--could have prepared me for the gaping void I felt after her transition. A few months after her passing my husband had to pick me up off the floor as I wept uncontrollably. He encouraged me to get dressed, and he took me to church. I knew God had more for me than a broken heart, so I positioned myself back in our Spirit-filled, life-giving church of restoration. Not only did God meet me there, He gave me “beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isa 61:3 NKJV).

Lydia’s life, much like my own, was marked with hardships, yet she emerged as a great woman of faith. She was a Gentile in hostile and chaotic times. Her hometown was known for tolerating false prophets and sexual immorality (see Revelation 2). Philippi and neighboring areas endured several battles, including Julius Caesar's assassination. The times and conditions she lived through are similar to what we see and hear in the news every day. She and her family were exposed to all forms of evil, and the worship of false idols was the norm. While we don’t know exactly how or when she suffered the loss of her husband, we know she became the head of her household. We can infer that she left her hometown as a successful entrepreneur for Philippi--situated along the trade highway from the Aegean Sea to Rome--to continue expanding her business. From the Scripture, we know that she was a worshipper of God and gathered with other ladies on the Sabbath to the place of prayer. Lydia not only positioned herself for financial increase for her family but also positioned her heart for more from the one true God she had come to know. God utilized her willing and hospitable spirit, financial impact, and influence to initiate the early church in Europe. She graciously hosted Paul, several disciples, and individuals who were earnestly in pursuit of experiencing the fullness of God, just as she herself sought. She knew God but it wasn’t until her encounter with Paul near the riverbank that she received Jesus. She was very responsive as the first European convert, and this led her to fund the gospel in order to promote its advancement across Europe.

I imagine Lydia to have been full of pain and despair at some point in her life, and still she chose to position herself in service and prayer with like-minded individuals. With an open heart she sought to fully know the Lord and be used by Him for more. She realized the fulfillment of purpose because of her spiritual positioning. This resonates because I believe my faith and my prayers for my son on the day he had that seizure brought him back, by the grace of God. My husband’s enduring a catastrophic medical issue--with all praises to God because he received a transplant and is still with us twelve years later--caused me to position myself for more as a potential single mother. I could have crumbled in fear but instead became a highly effective principal and school district leader positively impacting the lives of students and staff. When my mom transitioned to heaven, I aligned and positioned myself in a faith-filled church, and God healed my broken heart.

Can you too see yourself in Lydia? Her life is a dynamic example of the great rewards for self and others when we open our hearts, maximize our gifts, and position ourselves for purpose despite all the societal noise and distractions. What in your life needs to be positioned, or repositioned, toward the things of God? When you seek God, He’ll find you across seas, valleys, and mountains to meet you at the point of your need regardless of situations and circumstances. Position yourself for purpose, just like Lydia, and when you do, the Lord will use your life for greatness!