Smyrna's Smallness

Yesterday, the second sunday of Advent. Peace. My life has not been very peaceful, and many times when I come to advent...I look to advent as a promise. I will get hope, peace, joy, and love. I think this year, I am looking at them as demands or charges. You will need to hope. You need to gain peace. They are not gifts but steps towards the light of Christ.

In all my years of doing advent, I have never approached it that way.

Now to Smyrna

2:9 I know your affliction and your poverty, even though you are rich...vs 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested....Be faithful until death.

Though you are rich, you are poor.

I recall playing golf with some friends of mine, and they all got into the numbers game. "How much are you running in worship." Steeple envy, a pastor's problem. I said, "How many addicts gave up the drugs that plagues them in your presence yesterday? Did a wife tear up the divorce papers? Did a family get engaged with each other after your presence? Did a mother make a phone call to reconcile?" It is all numbers, big numbers, but in the end is the grace of Jesus being presented, represented in such a way that lives are being transformed for by and for the glory of God? Is the Holy Spirit growing folks?

I think we can be rich, but poor. When I travel I will tell Amy, "We got a credit card, we can get whatever we need when we get there. Now stop packing and stop asking if we got everything."
But this is a reminder that even though we may have richness, we can still be impoverished in the Spirit side of the balance sheet. I run deficits at times and the pain of being spiritually in debt or bankrupt is painful. Money does not solve that problem.

As the serenity prayer reads, "Hardship is the path to peace."

May you make some deposits in to your spiritual bank account today.

Grace and Peace,
RevGuido