A Gate Called Beautiful

Recently, I've been thinking a lot about how I choose to look at my life.

Recently, I've been in a bit of a funk.

I've been choosing to see the negative.

I've been choosing to see the hard.

I've been choosing to see what doesn't seem fair.

And most days, it doesn't even feel like I'm choosing to see the negative,

Or the hard,

Or the unfair. 

Most days, it seems like that's all there is to see.

Everyday, it seems like the struggles are always the same.

And when the struggles are the same,

day after day,

Sometimes it just seems like these things are destined to be your burdens,

Your struggles,

Your insecurities.

And we just have to accept them,

And move on.

But today, I was reading a story in Acts that showed me that sometimes, when it comes to those struggles,

Those burdens,

Those insecurities,

We're just not looking at the right place.

Jesus had just been taken back to heaven.

And all the disciples were continuing to preach his gospel, build his church, and perform miracles.

And let me tell you, this new church was hopping.

And one day Peter and John were going to the temple to pray, when they saw a lame man sitting next to the temple gate called Beautiful.

He was carried and placed at this gate everyday, to beg from those going into the temple courts.

When Peter and John walked by, this man asked them for money.

And Peter responded with a few simple words:

"Look up at us".

This man, who sat at the temple gate called Beautiful everyday was so downtrodden, he no longer bothered to look up at the people passing by.

He simply looked down,

Down at his withered legs,

Down at his struggles,

Down at his burdens,

Down at his insecurities.

He looked down and only saw what held him back.

And it was when he choose to look up at Peter and John,

And take the hand of a man proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ,

That he was finally able to stand.

His ankles became strong.

And he was able to walk,

"He began walking and jumping and praising God" ( Acts 3:8)

But this was only able to happen because he choose to look away from his struggles,

His burdens,

His insecurities, 

And look up,

And see the potential that lived just beyond the gate called Beautiful, if he was simply able to have faith,

And believe that there was life,

And a God,

That was so much bigger then his struggles,

His burdens,

His insecurities.

This morning, I want to choose to walk away from my gate called Beautiful.

I want to look down at my withered legs,

My struggles,

My burdens, 

And insecurities,

And make a choice.

A choice to believe that these struggles don't define me,

A choice to believe that these burdens can be shed,

A choice to believe that even with these insecurities I can still look up,  

And see a God that has much bigger plans for me,

Plans that live just beyond this gate called Beautiful I have chosen to sit at everyday.

Plans that don't focus on what I can't do,

But plans that focus on what He can.

Plans that don't focus on where I'm weak,

But plans that focus on how in my weakness He can make me strong.

Plans that don't focus on the mistakes of my past,

But plans that focus on the glorious future that He desires for me.

All I need to do is look away from my withered legs 

Knowing that my struggles,

And burdens,

And insecurities,

Are big,

But that I serve a God that is so much bigger.

That desires so much more for me then a gate called Beautiful.