The Bible is filled with marvellous stories of how ordinary people were used by God to facilitate extraordinary things. For example, Lydia through Paul encountered Jesus, she then went on to invite the servant of God to stay at her place. Little did she know, the invitation set in motion a series of momentous events (Acts 16). With Lydia's place as a base, the apostle proceeded to cast a demon out of a slave girl, was dragged and beaten up in the marketplace, thrown into prison, led a jailer and his household to Christ, and was eventually set free. The narrative ends with "after Paul and Silas came out of prison, they went to Lydia's house (again)," Acts 16:40.
Christians have asked "how can I honour God at my work or in school? The story of Lydia shows us a practical thing we can all do. Look for opportunities to show grace. Lydia probably never fathomed that her act of generosity to Paul would lead to the deliverance of an enslaved girl or a household coming to salvation, but grace has that kind of multiplying effect. Acts of grace enables people to encounter the gracious One directly and often indirectly. Matthew the tax collector did something similar, he received Christ's grace and then threw a party for his fellow tax collectors. Our Lord honoured Matthew's hospitality, ate with the “sinners” as was accused by the Pharisees, and ministered to them.
Where God has placed you is the platform for your ministry. It is where you are put in touch with people that you would otherwise not meet and brought to places that you would otherwise not go. These places are your God-given opportunities to shine and if you don't know where to start, start with acts of grace.
Blessings,
Ps. Loke Chi Shyan
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