We are the gatekeepers.
Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates. (Deuteronomy 6:9)
Mamas, we are the gatekeepers of our homes! Today and everyday, we have the opportunity to choose what we allow into our homes. We can learn so much from these verses found in Deuteronomy 6.. the core of God’s covenant is found in this commandment. “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all of your soul, and all of your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.” We need a refreshing wind of God’s word today to remind us of who He is and what He says. Motherhood is our ministry!
There is a parallel for us to see in our own lives - our roles as mothers - to be gatekeepers in our homes! God has blessed us with His trust train up a child in the way that they will follow. Are we pointing them to follow the world or are we training their hearts to follow Jesus? They’re watching us.. they’re listening to us.. and many times waiting on us to set the example of what it looks like to lay ourselves down and follow Jesus. I believe that we have to be a motherhood set on fire for Jesus. But in order to do that - we must tether ourselves to Him. There is a call on our lives, mamas. We are called to be the gatekeeper of our homes. I’ve briefly studied and dug around scripture for what the gatekeeper would do. Gatekeepers were guards stationed for protection at various kinds of gates (city gates, palace gates or temple gates) - a gatekeeper would need to be trustworthy and alert for signs of trouble. One who would become lax in their job could bring ruin on an entire city. If we abandon this great and important responsibility as the gatekeepers of our homes, there is a risk for our children to become the kind of adults who can be self-centered and self-serving; who can become passive to God’s voice, drifting further away from Truth- the Way - the Life of Jesus and his example—because that Truth, that Way and that Life has never been developed in theirs. We are the gatekeepers.. the guardians of Truth for our children! It is our job, mamas, to protect truth and righteousness, ensuring that only what is good and wholesome enter the lives of our children. It was a sacred job - being the gatekeeper in the Old Testament. Motherhood is a sacred role.. one that should be connected to God and covered for holy work! Time spent ministering to our children is time well spent, an investment that grants us the door to their hearts. When their hearts are soft to us because we have ministered to their needs, their minds will also be softened to hear the good news of the Gospel - but we MUST begin to make sure our values, our convictions and our guidance over their lives are also aligned and softened to the Gospel message. Are we, as a culture of motherhood, tethering ourselves to Jesus? That’s the call. That’s the movement I’m praying so desperately for.
We don’t have to go throughout this journey of raising children alone. We have the perfect example to follow in our paths of motherhood. Although each of our travels may have started differently in some way - our final destination should all look the same - leading us to His Way. Jesus is the perfect gatekeeper who welcomes people into salvation, a community of believers, and eternal life in His pasture. Jesus said, “I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture” (John 10:9). He directs His sheep through the gate with a generous hand, and He protects them fiercely by slamming the gate shut in the face of the enemy. That gives me such Hope in a world that sometimes feels hopeless. Motherhood can look different for all of us, but I think it’s time we all look across the table and join hands with Jesus. He is the ultimate gatekeeper, an example for us to follow. Let’s write the Lord’s commandments on the doorposts of our homes and raise up a generation of babies who are not ashamed to follow Jesus!