If you’re like me, you struggle with deciding what you should be directing your energy toward. Often, I feel this way in my spiritual life. Sometimes, churches can feel this way too. They may feel stagnant, as if they don’t have a goal. They may feel like they’ve “made it.” Since they are in Christ, there is nothing left to be done. I happen to be a restless person, so for me this isn’t a good feeling. Fortunately for me – and hopefully for you – Christ does not leave us without a direction to walk in. Revelation 21:9-12 and Ephesians 5:25-32 jointly envision the church as the bride of Christ. Revelation 21 greatly emphasizes this bride’s beauty, but the church is by no means a trophy wife. The book suggests instead that she ought to be a wife of action.

In chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation, Christ gives His church goals they should strive for. He names seven congregations and writes one letter to each of them, giving them specific instructions based on their circumstances. The instructions fall into three categories:

1: Shape up
The churches of Ephesus, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, and Laodicea are found lacking by Christ. Some of them have good qualities and are commended for these, but Jesus’ instructions to them tell them to repent of the things He has charged them with. Otherwise, Jesus will come and pass judgement on them in some way; for example, in Pergamos, He says if they do not repent, He will come and fight against them with the sword of His mouth (Rev. 2:16). The job Jesus gave to these churches was to shape up, to get right with Him. It was imperative that they focus their energies on having a right relationship with Christ, and they needed to overcome their sins to do this. Jesus promises great rewards “to him who overcomes,” a statement that shows the importance of individual repentance to the larger goal of improving the church.

2: Hold fast/endure
As the previous statement proves, individuals are held responsible (or found praiseworthy) due to their own specific actions. Jesus acknowledges that some of the members of the aforementioned churches were not participating in the sin He charges the larger church with. Certain Christians in Thyatira, for example, had not “known the depths of Satan” (Rev. 2:24), and to them Jesus simply says, “hold fast what you have till I come.” The command to hold on to what they have is also given to the church in Smyrna. Jesus tells them that they are about to be persecuted, but they are not to fear (Rev 2:10). Instead, they were to be faithful, even though prison and potentially death were in store for some of them (Rev. 2:10). However, he who overcame this trial would be given the crown of life by Jesus, and Jesus promises that “he who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death” (Rev. 2:11). Holding fast might take everything they have, but the reward would be well worth it.

3: Take the open door
One of the seven churches has already fulfilled the duties that Jesus tasks the other churches with. In Revelation 3:8-9, Jesus says that the church in Philadelphia has both kept His word and have persevered and not denied His name. This was certainly a great effort, and as a result the Philadelphians are given correspondingly great rewards. First, those who are lying about being God’s followers will come and “worship before” the feet of the Philadelphians, and will know that Jesus has loved them (Rev. 3:9). This verse suggests that the church would be vindicated in the eyes of those who had created difficulties for them. Second, Jesus says He will “keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (Rev. 3:10). There is no certain answer to what the phrase “hour of trial” is referring to, but hey, getting spared from trial is pretty great! Go Philadephians! The third reward, though, is perhaps the greatest of all. It is the first one to be mentioned, and when Jesus identifies Himself at the beginning of the letter, He does so by naming Himself the giver of this reward. Jesus is “He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens,” (Rev 3:7) and He has given the Philadelphians an open door. In Colossians 3:3, the metaphor of an open door is used to describe an opportunity, specifically one to preach God’s word, and the giver of such an opportunity is identified to be God Himself. It would seem that the Philadelphians have been given a similar opportunity, to glorify God and share His gospel in some way. Interestingly, no command is given concerning this open door. Jesus only gives them the same command that he gave the church in Smyrna: “Hold fast what you have” (Rev. 3:11). However, the concept of an open door implies that to be of any use, it must be walked through. Its value as a gift depends on the Philadelphians’ action. Despite this fact, the mention of the open door is clearly a gift to the Philadelphians for their labor, not a command. What a statement this makes about the preaching of the gospel! It is a gift to God’s faithful to be counted worthy to carry the news of their Lord. “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!” (Rom. 10:15).

The letter to Philadelphia, already full of so much beauty, finishes with perhaps the most beautiful description in all the letters of the reward to him who overcomes. Jesus says, “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.” Each of the rewards in the seven letters is promised “to him who overcomes,” not to the specific church if they overcome. However, I think it is beautiful that the church that has already done so well in overcoming is treated to a description of a reward that promises such a close association with God (the phrase “My God” is repeated by Jesus four times, emphasizing just how close an association it will be). It describes a home, a place, and a name. Philadelphia has obviously persevered through many things, and Jesus shows that no matter how far one perseveres, the riches of heaven extend infinitely farther. In all seven of the letters, in all three of the categories, Jesus calls His church to a high standard, but He shows that reaching higher ground comes with unimaginable riches that get better and better the higher you climb.

What can we learn from these letters? On the surface, we can learn to pick where we are focusing our energy in our spiritual lives and as a church. By reading the scriptures and examining our lives in reference to them, we can learn whether we need to shape up, hold fast, or take the open door (or a combination). In a deeper sense, though, the letters teach us that we’re all going in the same direction: toward Jesus. Each of these instructions has something to do with Him: either obedience to Him, clinging to Him, or sharing the news of Him. Finally, the letters tell us what our reward will be for obeying: the riches that are found in Him. No, the church is not a trophy wife, and thank God for that, because the rewards of being an active wife are so much greater.