“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write the following:
“This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who is the first and the last, the one who was dead, but came to life: ‘I know the distress you are suffering and your poverty (but you are rich). I also know the slander against you by those who call themselves Jews and really are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer. The devil is about to have some of you thrown into prison so you may be tested, and you will experience suffering for ten days. Remain faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown that is life itself. The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will in no way be harmed by the second death.’ Revelation 2:8-11
New English Translation
Here we see Smyrna. They’re a good church, faithful to God, and doing His will. Sadly, they’re experiencing persecution for their faith. Others don’t like that they’re alive in Christ. That’s all too common. People get upset about people who are excited about following Jesus, and they especially don’t like those who are committed to Him and won’t stray from His plan.
Jesus knows the struggle. He sees the pain, and He doesn’t pretend like it’s easy or like it caught Him off guard. Instead, He lets them know it’s going to get worse, not better, and He encourages them to stay faithful no matter what happens. This is where we realize that Christianity isn’t for the faint of heart. Following Christ is a true commitment and dedication. When times get tough, it’s not something you can just bail on and look for something easier. If you’ve come into Christianity with the understanding that when times get tough you can look for an easier path, I wouldn’t say you’re actually a Christian.
Numerous times in Scripture we get taught that suffering is a part of following Christ. Just as many times we get told that God is our strength and we can lean on Him. My struggle comes when I can’t seem to figure out how to make everything hunky-dory. Yet, God never said I was supposed to make everything work out or good on my terms. He said to rely on Him and let Him define the road. If we had our way, we’d by-pass all the hard stuff, all the pain, and all the brokenness that comes from people disliking the Jesus in us. But, in those challenges comes the growth seen in letting God hold the heavy stuff.
When we’re struggling, we get to see ourselves as we really are. We don’t have the capacity to make ourselves look better or to hold it all together all the time. Those are the moments where we get to see our weakness and decide whether we’re going to pretend it isn’t there or allow God to work in and through it. We don’t know how Smyrna handled their struggles; there is no follow-up on this situation. What we do know is that God knew that they could make it through and stay faithful if they relied on Him.
This is my question: Are you faithful when it’s hard? Or are you only all-in when it’s easy? Now is the time to stop avoiding the struggles of following God and begin the process of growing in the pain. Let God help you come through it, and He’ll help you become stronger and closer to Him. He has good for you, and you will only get to see the fullness of it if you let Him set the standard for what good is. Sometimes that will be seen in what we would define as a struggle.