My Progress

For quite some time now I have been trying to get through Pilgrims Progress. It really is a great story, but I get easily sidetracked. I have a whole pile/list of books to read. A pile of physical books at home, a bunch of books on my kindle, which currently only exists in the magical "cloud" because my actual kindle broke and I only have my phone and computer on which to read now. Which, by the way, was my SECOND kindle to break. Almost the same exact thing happened too, only this time I didn't have a 4 year old land on it. In fact, I don't recall anything or anyone landing on it....

But I digress

So reading has taken a tiny bit f a back seat, and most of my books are partially read. Annoying me to no end but I'm a mood reader. Sometimes I'm in the book for a certain kind of book, and other times I don't even wanna look at that same books. Day to day, sometimes hour to hour! So I finally got around to picking up Pilgrims Progress again and I came to this part, where Christian is walking with Hopeful. And they come across someone named Demas, who is calling to them, trying to get them to leave the path they are one. The one that leads to God. Hopeful wants to go. Christian points out to him why it would be bad to go that way. I made me think of how we all need a friend like that in our lives. Not like Hopeful. Like Christian. I think we are all way too much like Hopeful, and not always on purpose. We dony MEAN to go astray, but then we hear a coworker or casual friend taking about something and we join in. Maybe it's something we feel is a "grey area." But if we had a friend like Christian, maybe saying no to those after work drinks at a bar with your coworkers would y be so hard. not that there is anyone wrong with going to a bar or drinking in moderation- its a personal conviction sort of thing. And it's not the bar, but things that may be going on while there. For instance, what music is being played. Do you get up and dance, and is your dancing going to glorify God? Compromise in some small areas can lead to compromise in other areas.

I'm so guilty of this. I allow myself to be influenced by others in small matters, and then each of those small matters opens and depends and leads me to a bigger matter. I feel like Junior in The Veggie Tales movie about Larryboy and the fib from outer space. I'm not perfect. No one is. It's why I, along with everyone else, need a friend like Christian. A friend who will keep me on the path. I need a friend who is strong where I'm weak. And I need to be a friend to those who are weak where I am strong.

I think this is why fellowship with other believers is so important. And why marrying someone who believes is also important. So you can support each other spiritually.