A Lesson From Pilgrim's Progress

After reading a short description of how suffering increased John Bunyan's faith and ministry, I went out and bought his most famous book, "The Pilgrim's Progress." Written in the 17th century, this story is not an easy read, but it is well worth filtering through the "thees," "thous" and "wherefores," in order to benefit from the wisdom hidden therein.

The main character, Christian, reads a book and becomes aware of his burden of sin and his inability to get rid of it himself. At the direction of a man named Evangelist, he sets out on a journey, leaving his family and friends behind, in order to escape the wrath he knows he deserves. He reaches the cross, where he looks to Christ, and the burden falls from his back. From that point on, he travels in search of the Celestial City, where he will see Christ, not hanging on a cross, but alive and in all his glory.

The heart of the story is his progress along that path. He meets all kinds of people along the way, who influence his attitude, desires, and ability to proceed. Each one tests the veracity of his faith.

One such encounter takes place near the beginning of his journey. Night is drawing near, and he sees a castle along the way, and turns in to ask if he can stay the night there. After being questioned by the porter, he is allowed to come in and have dinner with the three ladies that live there - Piety, Prudence, and Charity. As they wait for their dinner, the ladies question him about where he came from and what happened along the way. Then they come to the subject of his family and ask him why he didn't bring them as well. Actually, they grill him about it. And the conversation made me squirm as if it was me under the hot light. It starts on page 51:

"Christian- I have a Wife and four small Children.
Charity- And why did you not bring them along with you?
Chr. Then Christian wept, and said, Oh how willingly would I have done it, but they were all of them utterly averse to my going on Pilgrimage.
Cha. But you should have talked to them, and have endeavoured to have [shown] them the danger of being behind.
Chr. So I did, and told them also what God had [shown] to me of the destruction of our City; but I seemed to them as one that mocked, and they believed me not.
Cha. And did you pray to God that he would bless your counsel with them?
Chr. Yes, and that with much affection; for you must think that my Wife and poor Children were very dear unto me..."
"...Cha. But did you not with your vain life, damp all that you by words used by way of [persuasion] to bring them away with you?
Chr. Indeed I cannot commend my life; for I am conscious to my self of many failings therein: I know also that a man by his conversation may soon overthrow what by argument or [persuasion] he doth labour to fasten upon others for their good: Yet this I can say, I was very wary of giving them occasion, by any unseemly action, to make them averse to going on Pilgrimage. Yea, for this very thing they would tell me I was too precise, and that I denied myself of things (for their sakes) in which they saw no evil. Nay, I think I may say, that, if what they saw in me did hinder them, it was my great tenderness in sinning against God, or of doing any wrong to my Neighbor.
Cha. Indeed Cain hated his Brother, because his own works were evil, and his Brother's righteous; and if thy Wife and Children have been offended with thee for this, they thereby [show] themselves to be implacable to good; and thou hast delivered thy soul from their blood."

Several things convicted me in this small part of the story. First: am I making every effort to win people to Christ? Charity interrogates Christian to see if there is anything else he could have done to save his family. Am I telling the gospel? Am I praying that God will "bless my counsel" with them? And (equally as important) am I living what I say? I love how Christian says that a person, "by his conversation may soon overthrow what by argument or [persuasion] he doth labour to fasten upon others for their good." (page 52) In other words, our everyday conversation can immediately nullify everything we say to try to persuade someone of the gospel. We can actually make God's good plan look bad by saying we're Christians, and not living like we are. There is never a time when we can take a brake from being a follower of Christ. In dropping our guard against sin (especially in little things), we not only grieve God by disobeying him, but we may also cause someone to ignore the Gospel and miss out on salvation. If I, by my sin, am the cause of some one's rejection of the truth that would save them, is their blood then on my head? Instead, we should "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."(1 Peter 2:12)

If someone interrogated me about my life and witness like Charity did to Christian in this story, I wouldn't be able to answer as he did. But I do intend to work to make my every day conversation and actions pleasing to God, so that my life will adorn the gospel, rather than contradict it.