Latest musings, while have a wifi connection, on rest and work.

I have recently read Pilgrim's Progress for the first time. As I read, I couldn't help but feel like John Bunyan was such a genius. The story of a man named Christian who meets with all kinds of people, temptations and trials on his journey through the narrow gate, on the straight path to God's Holy City is an allegory that rings true on so many levels.

At face value, the story is so enjoyable! As Christian meets and hears of people such as Legality, Faithful, Talkative and Atheist I found myself rooting for him inside like it was a Steelers vs. Cowboys Superbowl. Add the fact that he woefully left his wife and sons who would take no notice of their sin and the story tugs on the heart strings like crazy!

Also, almost anyone can relate to the symbolism in the story. I think even an unbeliever could gain much from the way Bunyan lays out the representation of the issues in this world. People, towns and paths all have a name that makes clear both what it's like in the story and what it represents.

Then I found myself take in another step deeper. This is where I began to feel like John Bunyan was a super-genius. As your read this allegory and pay attention to the initial symbolism, you begin to recognize that there is a gargantuan (I just found out this is a real word, so cool) amount of theology AND you can start applying it to your life. One would be hard pressed to find a type of person, trial or temptation that the author didn't include in either the first or second part of Pilgrim's Progress.

One of the first ones that stuck out to me was an arbor that the Lord had placed midway up a long steep hill. Christian made the mistake of falling asleep there instead of taking his rest and getting back to work. I immediately realized that God has given me arbors such as this, much like Jesus' places of desolation while He walked this earth. He has given me the mountains where I feel his arms around me so well, the church in which I grew up, and Seattle where Mars Hill and the city fit me so well. My temptation is to emotionally or physically sot in those places and never leave. But I realized that Jesus called me to different work for now and those places are not for living; they're for rejuvenation.

I encourage you to read the book and see how much God can speak to you through it. Honestly I think the reason Pilgrim's Progress is so great is because of the abundance of doctrine and theology in it. When a book contains so much of God's Words applied so well, how could you go wrong.

Secondly, I encourage you to look at your life? Are you sedentary where you should be hard at work? Are you working when you should be allowing the Lord the refresh you? Stop and praise Him for your blessings and then focus on what He wants you to do for Him? In what ways should you be working on furthering His Kingdom?

I hope you can learn from both Christian's and my struggle with complacency and avoid the discontent what both myself and this fictional character experienced.

<3