By Eric Sponheim

SMYRNA

Rev 2: 8-11

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:  The first and last, who was dead and has come to life, says this:  I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.  Do not fear what you are about to suffer.  Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days.  Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.”

The church in Smyrna had to deal with hardship and struggle every day.  They were despised and looked down upon.  If you valued your life on this earth, becoming a Christian in Smyrna would not be the way to go.  It was very difficult to be a Christian and live there.

Jesus acknowledges their suffering, but instead of telling them their breakthrough is coming, He tells them there is more suffering on the way.  Basically, He tells them that you have been suffering for me, and it will continue; in fact, it is going to get worse.

Who wants to hear this?  We often start to whine and complain when we have hardships.  We are always looking for our breakthrough, wondering when this life will get easier.  When we go through the hard times we have a choice; either draw close to God or turn away from Him.

What do we fear about going through testing and tribulation?  Is it fear of death or a fear of losing our possessions?  Is it the fear of not having any friends and being made fun of?  Is it the fear of losing your home and having no place to live, or maybe no food to eat?  Or is it the fear of having to put up with inconveniences and not being able to have the comfortable life one is used to?  Is it a fear of being tortured and being in pain?  Is it a fear of not having a retirement account and having to work in your later years?  Is it a fear of your family abandoning you? 

What happens if the trials never stop, like in Smyrna? 

The reality is that any of these things could happen.  We need to consider the costs and decide if the potential costs of following Jesus are worth it.  No one can make that choice for you, you must make that decision yourself. 

We also need to count the cost of allowing fear to dictate our decisions. When we allow fear to run our life, we are not honoring God.  When we change our mind out of fear, it does not honor Him.  When we allow fear to influence our decisions, we are not trusting God.  When we allow anything other than faith in God to influence our decisions, it does not honor Him.

One of the problems is that we tend to have a temporary perspective.  It’s all about this life.  We have trouble comprehending the reality of eternity.  We do not understand, and value, the rewards that come as a result of overcoming the trials that we have to endure.

We need to overcome fear associated with the testing and tribulation because of our faith.  Do not give up and give in at the end.  We need to decide what is more important to us, this temporary life, or eternity.  In John 12:25, Jesus says “He who loves this life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life.”  If we claim to be His, we need to be willing to endure inconvenience, challenge, trial, hardship, torture, and death for the sake of our eternal relationship with God.

Nutshell: We need to overcome fear associated with the testing and tribulation because of our faith.  Do not give up and give in at the end.