John Bunyan was a Christian who had his share of ups and downs, including time in prison for his beliefs. He was separated from loved ones, including his wife and children.

Instead of beating him down, his hardships built him up. They refined and fortified his faith.

In a biography about his life, the following comment was made about his disposition: “When the sun shone he walked humbly, thankfully, and gladly in its light.”*

The statement “when the sun shone” is metaphorical. It refers to those times when life is going well, as in ‘the sun is shining down on me.’ When that happened, he walked humbly, thankfully and gladly.

Humbly.
Thankfully.
Gladly.

Life can be very difficult. Just as a sour taste can be left in your mouth, so can a sour taste be left in your mind. We carry it with us. And just as a sour taste in your mouth can ruin the taste of other things you eat, so can a sour taste in your mind ruin your experience of other things you experience—yes, even when life is going well. The flavour of hardship can start to poison other areas of your life, even when many of those other areas are largely positive.

That’s what I like about Bunyan’s example. When life was tough, it was tough. But when “the sun shone,” he was able to see it for what it was and be thankful—even though other parts of his life were sludge.

We see this same pattern in the psalms. Here are two short examples. 

In Psalm 139, David praises the wonderful works of God (verse 14). This happens even though bloodthirsty people have drawn near (verse 19). In Psalm 57 David’s enemies laid a trap for him (verse 6). Then in the very next verse he is singing with a harp to awaken the morning dawn!

There are times when gratitude comes naturally. There are others when it takes work. Perhaps today is a day to open our eyes just a little bit more to see the goodness of God breaking through.

“When the sun shone he walked humbly, thankfully, and gladly in its light.”

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Notes:

–*Lina Orman Cooper, John Bunyan: The Glorious Dreamer (The Sunday School Union, 1925), 126.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.