Our men’s prayer breakfast is working through John Calvin’s Little Booklet on the Christian Life in a fine, fresh translation. Today we read:
“It’s no little thing to be stripped of our blind self-love and thus to be made aware of our own weakness. Moreover, having been impressed with our own weakness, we learn to despair of ourselves. Then, having despaired of ourselves, we transfer our trust to God. Next, we rest in our trust in God, and we rely on His help and persevere unconquered to the end. Then standing on His grace, we see that He is true to His promises. Finally, being confident in the certainty of His promises, our hope is strengthened.”
Calvin, Little Booklet on the Christian Life, trans. A.C. Denlinger and B. Parsons, pp. 63-64
In this quote, Calvin lays out for us the practical steps by which God uses suffering to help us:
- God uses suffering to make us aware of our sin and/or weakness,
- In becoming aware, we learn to despair of our own power to fix us,
- Having despaired of our own power, we transfer our trust to Jesus,
- Having transferred our trust, we rest in Christ’s promises and power,
- Resting on Christ, we rely on his help and the work of his Spirit in us,
- Relying on his help, we persevere to victory in the new creation.
This is but one of the many fine, practical gems tucked away into this book. Although the name ‘Calvin’ may be intimidating, this modern translation is both accessible and affordable. Highly recommended!