Gatekeeper
A gatekeeper is someone who has charge of who comes through the gate and who doesn’t. I am a gatekeeper of sorts for my home. My wife and I can decide whom we will let into our home. We have a security system to help with gatekeeping as well. I’ve seen my self as the gatekeeper for my children over the years as well. My family doesn’t watch “R Rated” movies, so we have to do some “gatekeeping” on that. There are certain TV shows that are very sexual and sensual so we don’t watch those. When the Internet came into our home, it made all the other mediums look week. We had to put some gatekeeping devices on that for sure. Gatekeeping is not popular or fun, but it can be necessary for protection of my family. As my kids get older some of the gatekeeping is not on them. While they were in my house, I felt responsible to protect them. I told one of my kids that I didn’t want to purchase something and have it in my home if it would damage their heart.
There were gatekeepers to the Temple of God. They were there to make sure the people who came and went showed the proper reverence and respect to The Lord. Check this out…
22 Altogether, those chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds numbered 212. They were registered by genealogy in their villages. The gatekeepers had been assigned to their positions of trust by David and Samuel the seer. 23 They and their descendants were in charge of guarding the gates of the house of the Lord—the house called the tent of meeting. 24 The gatekeepers were on the four sides: east, west, north and south.
26 But the four principal gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted with the responsibility for the rooms and treasuries in the house of God. 27 They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they had to guard it; and they had charge of the key for opening it each morning. (1 Chronicles 9:22-24;26-27 NIV)
Gatekeepers must be careful not to overstep their boundaries. There are some gatekeepers who actually think that they are now in charge. As the gatekeeper of my house, I had to learn to have conversations, as my kids got older. The gatekeeping was never intended to be forever. It was intended to help them learn to become their own gatekeeper of their heart. I believe that the Lord wants my heart to be in pursuit of Him. With His help, I must be the gatekeeper of my heart. The enemy wants to invade my heart and destroy it, but the Lord helps me protect it. I can change my behavior per other gatekeepers, but being the gatekeeper of my heart may very well be my most important job.
Pressing On!
Dwayne