Suffering Is Not for Nothing

“I see [suffering] as a necessary part of the sovereign and loving purpose of God, even as a gift to be received, then offered back as a sacrifice, capable of being turned into something beautiful.” (Elisabeth Elliot)

Through the centuries Christian philosophers have pondered the mysteries of the knowledge of God and the knowledge of self. John Calvin devoted an entire chapter to this in his Institutes of the Christian Religion so that, in knowing the character of God and the nature of man, believers might better comprehend the redeeming work of Jesus Christ.

Elisabeth Elliot, widow of martyred missionary Jim Elliot, has spent much time examining our relationships with one another and our Creator. The journey God ordained for her carried her through courtship, marriage, the loss of two husbands, and on the path to a new ministry- all by the sustaining grace of an abiding Father which prevailed through trials, suffering, and loneliness.

With keen insight Elliot penetrates the world’s mediocrity and popular panaceas for anxiety and confusion. She raises a standard for excellence straight from the pages of Scripture. True peace, contentment, and freedom from worldly despair, she maintains, is found in the clarity of biblical wisdom and intimacy with Christ.