An earlier version of this essay was originally posted on my blog, roadstainedfeet.wordpress.com.
A runaway noblewoman overhears a traitorous plot. Escaped slaves make a mad dash for freedom. Survival, liberty, and the fate of a nation depend on reaching their destination in time. The Horse and His Boy nears its climax.
Aravis, Shasta, Bree, and Hwin race across the desert, up a ravine, and through the mountains to warn the Archenlanders of Prince Rabadash’s planned assault. At first, they move urgently and desperately on their journey, but as the miles add up and the mountains’ beauty around them impresses them, they slow down. Surely, they think, they deserve a rest. They’ll still get there in time.
They don’t realize how quickly the enemy army is cutting across the desert.
More than one member of the party argues in favor of speed:
“P-please,” said Hwin, very shyly, “I feel just like Bree that I can’t go on. But when horses have humans (with spurs and things) on their backs, aren’t they often made to go on when they’re feeling like this? and then they find the can. I m-mean — oughtn’t we to be able to do even more, now that we’re free. It’s all for Narnia” (129).
Bree scathingly remarks that as a warhorse he has endured more forced marches than she has. The matter rests until Aslan begins chasing them. With a lion at their heels, they quickly realize how fast they truly can go. Shasta must sprint the final few miles on foot, barely making it in time for the Archenlanders to retreat to their castle and the Narnians to aid their allies.
Bree and Hwin are debating more than exhaustion and endurance. They were talking about freedom and what should be done with it. Hwin is essentially saying that they did more difficult things when they were slaves, to which Bree responds that he’s had enough of slavery. Which of them is right? Is freedom meant to be easy? Or does it bring heavier burdens than ever, but “for Narnia” instead of the old master?
Narrator Lewis offers his approval to Hwin,
“In reality she was quite right, and if Bree had had a Tarkaan on his back at that moment to make him go on, he would have found that he was good for several hours’ hard going. But one of the worst results of being a slave and being forced to do things is that when there is no one to force you any more you find you have almost lost the power of forcing yourself.” (129)
This is such a vital thing for Christians to know. We have been freed from the bondage of sin. Jesus paid the price I could not pay. Since my obedience does not buy my salvation, does it matter?
It’s a simple answer, really. “Yes, your obedience still matters, even though it is not the means to your salvation.” All-grace or all-law are not common theological stances among mature believers, but it’s easy to emphasize one over the other as we walk in our faith.
As a stay-at-home mom, I find that my days can vary wildly in how faithful and obedient I’m being. When the toddler is sweet and playful, the house isn’t trashed, and I get a chance for personal pursuits, it’s easy to have the energy and good attitude to read another book, pray another prayer, and bake cookies to boot.
But…the pettiest things can make me say, “Nope. This is too hard. Today is a day for bare minimums, and that’s fine.”
There’s a place for bare minimums, and I’m not ashamed of all the times I’ve spent the day in a messy house that stayed messy with a cantankerous child who stayed cantankerous, so long as we both ate at the appropriate times. There’s nothing bare or minimum about loving my daughters faithfully on difficult days.
It’s a matter of effort, not results. If I set the bar too low, I start feeling entitled to ease and comfort all the time, and that will just disappoint me. Christianity is not a cozy day by the fire. It’s a race. Sometimes it feels like there’s a lion at your heels. And even when it does feel good, I should be using my blessings to bless others, not as an excuse to waste time.
There’s no master on our backs whipping us to go harder. I am free to work hard or work a little, and God knows that hard work sometimes looks different on the inside than the outside.
Yet I wonder how many desperate charges have been flubbed because I threw up my hands, didn’t pray, and just said, “Not today.”
I wonder how many victories have been won for the times when I did push harder than I knew how.
So let us do even more, now that we’re free.
It’s all for Narnia.