It was about three years after surgery and I had been sitting by a gate. Not one exactly like this, but I'd been at the gate of my heart. I had been thinking about the things that I had let into my thinking, into my mind, regarding who I am and what, or who, I would allow to control me.
In ancient time, cities were surrounded by walls and heavyly guarded gates. The gates were a symbol of strength, power and dominion, but they were also the weakest part of their defense.
We are like a city. Our gates are the entrances into our mind and heart. They are our eyes, ears, mouth, nose, hands, feet, and mind. Once we open the gate, things can come in. Sometimes we open our gates to things that we really don't want.
In cities, the gates were set up to keep their enemy out and to protect the city inside the fortified walls. Sometimes I am my own worst enemy. I have let circumstances, negative self talk, opinions of others and life situations rule my self-image and determine my self-worth. I opened the gate, when I let those things rule my thinking about myself and determine my worth and value.
Often I allow my eyes, or my sense of smell tell me how to eat or how to feel. I have had to learn how to set a guard or how fortify my resolve. Sometimes, my gate looks a little trampled down. But that is not how I wish to live. It's not how I chose to live.
Early in the years after my surgery, I had to do a lot of building up the gate of my mind. Tearing down old habits and thought patterns and building new mindsets about who I am and what controls my thinking and my actions.
During those first few years after surgery, I thought a lot about set up a guard and determine what I will believe. Would I believe my "truth" as I knew it or will I let God define who I am? Would I choose to believe His truth?
It was time to build up my gates. I found I had to put an end to the old thinking patterns and let His truth rule. Besides changing my external habits, I believe that changing my mind was the single most transforming thing that led to my success.
I can possess the gates. I can stop the enemy of my mind and heart from entering. I can be free to be all I was created to be. I encourage you to examine your mind and thoughts. Discover who is in control.
We can possess our city and we can possess and guard our gates. We are also promised that we can possess the gates of our enemies! Who are your enemies? Who or what are you allowing to in to the land. Go take possession.
Yes, we can, we have many mores miles to go!
Genesis 22:17 ...your seed shall take possession of the gates of your enemies...