A little strength

 

I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name – Revelation 3.8

 

Each church in Revelation characteristics that Jesus tells John to write about. Some are good and some are bad, but we can learn from them all.

 

Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love is commended. They are praised because they had

 

A little strength

Kept Jesus’ word

Have not denied His name

 

There is nothing fancy there. There is nothing about their success or how they are taking Philadelphia by storm. Nothing about their great numbers or big churches. All we read is that they were faithful to the task God had called them to.

 

The strength was small. They were not a force to be reckoned with in the city. Chances are that their numbers were small. They sound like churches in most of the world outside of a very few countries. Most of us don’t have much power. We live in countries where we have little if any support in society. All we have is the strength God gave us, but isn’t that really all we need. Even with a little strength, when we depend on His strength, we can do the other things.

 

They kept Jesus’ word.

They did not deny His name.

 

We may not be able to do much. We may not impact society. We may not shake the world.

 

But there are things we can do. We can keep to God’s word and be guided and directed by it and it alone. We can be faithful to God and not deny Him by our words and actions.

 

We can do our part for the Kingdom with the open doors that God provides.  When we get our eyes off of earthly things we can advance His kingdom and do His work even in our little strength.