How to Avoid Devilish Detours on a Heavenly Hike

Does parenting ever feel like a climb up Mount Everest? Raising children in a post-Christian culture is a challenge; it bombards them with messages creatively aligned against a biblical worldview.

The world is an increasingly dangerous place, and the face of evil seems to be constantly changing. When terrorism hit our nation, it seemed no one was really safe. It would be easy for parents to feel helpless.

Having raised four now grown children, we can empathize with those feelings. Yet, there is hope for parents in the 21st century, regardless of the pitfalls.

Parents can be encouraged by two majestic parenting guides. First, God’s Word is the ultimate map for our child’s journey through life. It is a comprehensive and reliable guide for their every step. Without the Word of God, we would surely falter on the unstable path through today’s culture.

A timeless travel guide

Another kind of travel guide exists for childrearing as well—John Bunyan’s Christian classic, Pilgrim’s Progress. Bunyan’s story is an exciting adventure filled with danger, castles and dungeons, and many fascinating characters, including hideous monsters and courageous heroes.

But even though Bunyan wrote his monumentally successful best seller in the 1600s, the journey of Christian, the central character, reads like today’s newspaper. When you compare Pilgrim’s Progress to some of the current cultural challenges facing parents, it is surprising how Bunyan’s spirit-filled insights are so powerfully relevant today.

Consider some of the topics that Bunyan dealt with in his allegorical story of Christian on his travels to the Celestial City: the scourge of political correctness in a city called Fair-speech; the reality of religious persecution; the battle a Christian may face with emotional depression; the dangers of cults and false spirituality; the need for absolute truth in a culture of relativism; and, of course, the challenge of facing death with hope, in light of Scripture’s promises of heaven.

Our travel companion

Yet the fact that Christian ultimately succeeds is a testament to God’s faithfulness—that He provides a path through life’s brambles and thorns. As parents, we need not be afraid of our children’s future. When we apply Bunyan’s eternally relevant principles to the ever-changing cultural landscape, we see that God has not abandoned us.

More than that, He is the constant travel companion for our children. Christ wants to train us as parents so we can help our children avoid the quicksand pull of the Slough of Despond and the dark horrors of Doubting Castle, so that they will ultimately arrive at Palace Beautiful, where moral virtue can protect them and grant them peace. So, fellow traveler, perhaps it’s time to ask yourself how your child is doing on the Pilgrim’s Path and let the perfect Guide lead you and your family on the road He has made sure.