Bonhoeffer on Proving Ourselves

For strong and moral people defeat shows the need for their powers to continue to grow before they can prove themselves in the test. This is why defeat for them is never final. Christians know that each time they face a trial all their powers will leave them. This is why the time of trial is a dark hour for them which can become final. This is why they do not look to prove themselves but pray, do not lead us into the time of trial...

But the God who brings forth day and night is the God who gives times of refreshment following times of thirst. God gives storm and peaceful passage, God gives times of sorrow and fear and God gives times of joy...

For Christians what is important is not how life is in and of itself but how God works on me at this moment. God casts me out and he accepts me again, he destroys my work and he builds it up again. “I am the LORD, and there is no other I form light and create darkness, I make peace and create evil” (Isaiah 45:7). Thus Christians live within the times appointed by God, not from their own conception of life. Thus they do not say that they are always in trials, always asked to prove themselves, but they pray in times of safekeeping, God would not let the time of trial come upon them.


Rough English translation of the following:

Eine Niederlage zeigt dem vitalen und ethischen Menschen, daß die Kräfte noch wachsen müssen, ehe sie die Probe bestehen. Darum ist seine Niederlage niemals unwiderruflich. Der Christ weiß, daß ihn in der Stunde der Versuchung jedes Mal alle seine Kräfte verlassen werden. Darum ist für ihn die Versuchung die dunkle Stunde, die unwiderruflich werden kann. Darum sucht er nicht nach Bewährung seiner Kraft, sondern betet: führe uns nicht in Versuchung…

Der Gott aber, der es Tag und Nacht werden läßt, der gibt auf Zeiten des Durstes Zeiten der Erquickung, Gott gibt Sturm und er gibt ruhige Fahrt, Gott gibt Zeiten der Sorge und Angst und Gott gibt Zeiten der Freude …

Nicht was das Leben an sich sei, sondern wie Gott jetzt mit mir handelt, ist dem Christen wichtig. Gott verstößt mich und er nimmt mich wieder an, er zerstört mein Werk und er baut es wieder auf. »Ich bin der Herr und keiner mehr, der ich das Licht mache und schaffe die Finsternis, der ich Frieden gebe und schaffe das Übel« (Jesaja 45, 7). So lebt der Christ aus den Zeiten Gottes und nicht aus seinem eigenen Begriff vom Leben. So sagt er nicht, er stehe allezeit in Versuchung und alle Zeit in der Bewährung, sondern er betet in den Zeiten der Bewahrung, Gott wolle die Zeit der Versuchung nicht über ihn kommen lassen.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Illegale Theologenausbildung: Sammelvikariate 1937-1940, DBW 15, 373-374

The first thing Scripture says about joy

"The first thing Scripture says about joy can be summed up in the beginning of the hymn Jesu meine Freude [Jesus, my joy][1]. This is the keynote of the biblical proclamation of the birth of Christ, of the advent of the kingdom of God in the fellowship of Jesus with his disciples, of his resurrection and ascension. (Lk 2:10; Mk 2:19; Lk 24:41,52; Joh 20:20). God wants to make us glad through Jesus Christ. He does not want to depress us or shoulder us with problems, he does not want to present us with insoluble problems, but he wants us to rejoice in Jesus Christ and his rule...This belongs to the simple things which we like to forget as we are engrossed in the difficult things, namely that we learn to be chuffed about Jesus like children. Is it not the worst case of ingratitude and obduracy of heart, if the one who came for our salvation, for deliverance, now becomes a burden to us? If our joy in Christ dwindles away, so does our love for him. Without joy in the Son of God who became man and rose from the dead we get into grumbling, dissent and sadness. But how do we find such joy? Only through the firm belief: Jesus lives! If it is really true that Jesus lives, that he testifies himself to us, guides and helps us, how can we be other than glad like the disciples when they saw him on Easter Day? (Joh 20:20)

Those who have found Christ walk their way with joy, in their joy they go and sell all that they have and buy the precious pearl (Mt 13:44 [cf. v.46]). Those who do not walk the way of Jesus become sorrowful like the rich young man (Mt 19:22). Those who commit themselves entirely to the way of Jesus will become glad in it. Such joy proves itself also in the suffering which this way can bring for us (Mt 5:12; 1. Pet 4:13ff; 2. Cor 6, 10; Phil 2:17; Col 1:24; Heb 10:24 et al.). The basis of all such joy is the nearness of Jesus (Phil 4:4). Ach, mein Herr Jesu, dein Nahesein... [My dear Lord Jesus, your closeness...][2]. At the same time there is the confidence that it is exactly in this way that the work of Jesus Christ on earth is fulfilled and completed (2 Tim 2:10). Thus the things that should bring us affliction and annihilation, by God’s wonderful grace, only strengthen our joy. If we remain in the proper joy, then it is really true: ‘No one will take your joy from you’ (Joh 16:22) because this joy will last into eternity (1 Pet 1:8).

The church is a fellowship of joy. All rejoice in the special grace received by one (1 Cor 12:26). John does not know a higher joy that seeing his children walk in the truth  (2 Joh 1:4; 3 Joh 1:4; cf 1. Cor 13:6). Paul invites his church to participate in the joy of his suffering for Jesus Christ (Phil 2:17). Jesus calls for joy with him over every sinner who repents. The whole of Lk 15 is governed by this call (15:6,9,23,32; cf 2 Cor 7:9f). Christians are a daily source of joy for one another (1 Thess 2:19; Phil 4:1). Those who have their eyes open for their fellow Christians can never lack a reason to be joyful. Isn’t it astonishing to know that not only Jesus is our joy but also our Christian brother or sister? Do we not have reason enough today to be filled with this joy?"

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Das erste was die Schrift über die Freude sagt

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[1] A hymn written by Johann Franck in 1650.

[2] The opening lines of a hymn written by Christian Gregor in 1767 which continues brings great peace into our hearts / and the sight of your grace makes us so blessed / that body and soul rejoice in it / and become grateful.