In the course of the 2009 year many will be remembering John Calvin as it has been 500 years since his birth, July 10, 1509. One way I am remembering this year is by reading the Institutes once again. I have made it a practice over the past several years to spend 30 minutes each day reading a work of systematic or biblical theology. During this time of reading I have read the Institutes but I am choosing to read them through again with the help of a reading plan put together by the Foundation for Reformed Theology. In each of my readings I am writing down something that Calvin said that greatly impacts and then reflecting on that in writing. I will seek to put forth some of these reflections through our churches blog.
“Unless they establish their complete happiness in Him, they will never give themselves truly and sincerely to Him.” Institutes, Book I. Chapter 2.1
Seeking happiness in a fallen world is a barren pursuit for the one seeking and a barren life for those who live in the wake of his pursuit. A fallen creature who seeks for happiness is not wrong. But when a fallen creature pursues happiness not in his Creator he is misguided by his desires, and it is this erroneous pursuit that leaves all whom he affects with the waves of his ill-directed pursuit.
Man is commanded to delight himself in the LORD (Ps.37:4). Therefore for the creature to delight himself in a primary way in anything but his Creator and Redeemer would be to pursue that which contrary to true joy for himself and others. Can a man seek for his joy in his wife or a vocational achievement? Yes, he can and he does. However, when his wife or the achievement he sought does not satisfy then he seeks another object or direction in life. Why does this occur? Because he sought his happiness in a wrong manner and the result is that he does not love his wife with endurance and sacrifice or work at his vocation for the good of those he has been given to serve.
God has made man so that he will know and enjoy Him through God’s revealing and giving Himself to man. The creature is made by and for the Creator and will not establish happiness, lasting, for he or others until he establishes happiness in God who has made Himself know. Therefore, God gives good gifts like family and vocations, but man must seek joy in God who the family is from and through and to (Rom.11:36). In this pursuit the waves that effect the family and those impacted by our callings can receive what is good, God. God has made and sustains family and vocations not primarily for a man’s joy, but for a man to have the opportunity to serve others joy in God. So a man is to establish his joy in God and as he gives himself fully to God as his joy he will be pursuing others joy in God. This is why Jesus can say, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Mt.5:16). A persons light shinning is the works he does, by grace, for others good. The reason it is called light is because it shines in a Godward direction. When a person establishes his joy in God then the light of God shines through him in the works of God, and others enjoy the results of God’s goodness and wisdom and they are able to look past the man to God whom that man knows, enjoys and refracts.
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