The church in Smyrna had been battered by persecution more than most of the other churches and they were feeling stripped and impoverished by their experience. Because they had been stripped of everything, they had become weak and vulnerable. When this kind of thing happens, we are inevitably reminded of something we easily forget. We cannot play the role of God in our own lives. We are not in control. We cannot secure our own destinies. We all have a deep-seated control orientation. We like playing God. Faith, therefore, is strongly counter-intuitive. So, experiences that strip us of our security and confidence can often also strip away this control orientation. That depends of course on how we react. If we fight against our circumstances to regain that godlike control, then we will only live in frustration. We are not God, so trying to be God leads to a life of frustration. So, we should allow times of need to remind us of this and allow difficult circumstances to reinvigorate our faith. In this way, our experience of weakness can make us strong. The church in Smyrna had been reduced to poverty by persecution. But through this they had become rich in faith. Their wealth may have given them comfort for a while. But their faith would give them fulness of life for eternity. Faith is infinitely more important than comfort. We often forfeit faith for comfort. But God, in his providence, will exchange our comfort for opportunities to reinvigorate faith. We will be all the richer for it.
Pray and entrust your greatest needs to God.
Read Revelation 2:8-11.
