John Bunyan, in The Pilgrim’s Progress captures Christian’s response to the revelations of Interpreter’s house in a simple way, “Yea, and they put me in hope and fear.” To which, Interpreter responds, “Well, keep all things so in thy mind that they my be as a goad in thy sides, to prick thee forward in the way thou must go…”

A certain commentator on Pilgrim’s Progress named “Scott” has written the following on Christian’s simple response,

Our safety consists in a due proportion of hope and fear.  When devoid of hope, we resemble a ship without an anchor; when unrestrained by fear, we are like the same vessel under full sail without ballast.  True comfort is the effect of watchfulness, diligence, and circumspection…

It is our natural tendency to lose “due proportion” of fear and hope. It must be said that spiritual things often come so easily that modern believers (and there is no reason to doubt truthfulness and reality) that we fly through our days without “ballast”.  This figure is intended to mean stability which indicates depth and staying-power rather than energy and excitement.  At the same time, we need hope which is “an anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:18-19) pulling us forward and giving us godly, purposeful, fruitful service of our good-doing God!

How we should pray for “due proportion” in our religious experience – for our own good and God’s glory!