Passion and Patience

In the classic work The Pilgrims Progress Christian arrives at the home of a rather mystical pilgrim who goes by the name of Mr Interpreter. It is there in this particular section of the book that Mr Interpreter provides Christian (and the reader) a series of unearthly spiritual glimpses into the deeper realities of the Pilgrims Road. Of these visions (and they are all insightful) there is one which stands out to me above the rest. 

It is the part where Mr. Interpreter leads Christian to another smaller room. There he sees two very different children each sitting in a small wooden chair of their own. We are told by the author that the eldest child's name is Passion and his younger brother's name is Patience. We see right away that Passion is discontented where his younger brother Patience is quiet. When Christian inquires into the matter Mr. Interpreter deftly answers,"The Governer of them would have him (Passion) stay for his best things till the beginning of the next year; but he will have all now; but Patience is willing to wait."

Now what is intriguing about this particular revelation is that Passion is presented with his heart's delight. A man lays a bag of treasure at his feet and he immediately takes it up and laughs Patience to scorn before he lavishes it all away on himself and is left with nothing but rags. 

When asked to expound on the matter by the now perplexed Christian Mr. Interpreter provides the following profound explanation. These two are figures of two types of men. Passion represents the men of THIS world where Patience represents the men of the world to come. Where the men of this world have to have everything NOW in this life the men of the world to come are content to wait. Just as Passion lavished away all his riches anyways and was left with only rags so will it be in the end when they who live for this life die.

Christian promptly responds to this by  saying that Patience has the best wisdom. For he waits for what's best and has glory where the other has only rags. But to this Interpreter wisely adds, yes but more importantly what Patience gets will NEVER wear out, where the stuff of this life is "suddenly gone". "For the first must give place to last because last must have its time to come. But last gives place to nothing; for there is not another to succeed."

Christian humbly replies, "Then I see it is best not to covet things that are now but to wait for things to come" (A very wise response indeed). But to this Interpreter (of course) must add: "For the things that are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal."(2 Cor. 4:18) Amen. 

Now you might ask me why I have written all of this. Why did I take the long road to say such a simple truth? And I will tell you. First of all the long roads are always the best. Although the pilgrim's path is filled with many short cuts none of them produce the lasting valuable growth we each secretly desire to have. If you want to know the true richness of walking with the Master then you must follow him through the thickest forrests climb the highest mountains traverse the deepest valleys and walk where the road is the most unforgiving on your feet. In other words you must go where HE leads you no matter where it might be. There are no shortcuts to true spiritual maturity as believers just as there are no shortcuts to living in this life.

Now with everything that is going on in this country today there is a lot of valid human reason to complain. After all we do live in the real world. And we are all going to be practically affected by what's going on around us whether we like it or not. But just the same we are called as believers to think differently, to act differently; to be different. We are called to live as sojourners making our way in this world to that eternal destination promised to us in Christ to come not as citizens making the best of it now.

We have the divine opportunity whether we want it or not to be "patient" when others are "discontented", to trust in our God when others are afraid, to lean on and be led by the Spirit of God in this earthly valley, to walk by faith even when it hurts us financially, challenges us emotionally or tests us spiritually. 

So won't you join with me today? Let's wait with joy together for the One who made us and went before us to a prepare a better lasting place for us so we might dwell with him in the heavenlies while he puts the rest of the world of passion under his feet to the praise and glory of His name and the benefit of his people. Let's walk with Christ in the Power of His Spirit as his people, as humble grateful Patient Pilgrims.