St. Louis, Missouri, often times referred to as the Gateway to The West. Years ago, Lewis and Clark initiated their expedition to the west from the St. Louis area. After them, and many others started heading west from St. Louis, people began to reference the town as the ‘Gateway to the West’.
The gateway represents a starting point for those who are entering through it. No matter what even is occurring, there is always a starting point or a gateway. If you think about it, your career didn’t just occur overnight. You didn’t wake up and suddenly have a job that you went to. There was an event that occurred to get you the job you have today. It may have been a friend introduced you to something and it sparked your interest in that field. You hear of people who have been injured become nurses or doctors because of how they were treated and want to help others as well. That injury would have been a gateway to their career.
A lot of times people are the gateway for others. Friends and family are an influence on each other and can lead them different directions in life.
Parents, for our kids, we are the gateway to their future. We are at the front of the line when it comes to what our kids will be like when they get older. Although we cannot control what will eventually do, we can try to help guide them along the way.
Spiritually, we can be the gateway to heaven or the gateway to hell for our kids. That’s tough to grasp that the souls of our children rely on us. It is true and a lot of parents don’t realize it. It is not the youth ministers job, the preacher’s jobs, the elder’s job, or the little old lady that hands out candy at church’s job to get our children to heaven. It is our job.
What we drive into our kid’s minds can shape their future. Do you let them leave the house dressed like a call girl? What about your actions? Do you go out, with your kids present, and have drinks at dinner and have a little too many? These actions are simply letting your children know that sin is okay. The kids see these actions or know they were approved by you and in turn, can lead them to something more. These two simple one can lead to alcoholism, drunkardness, sexual addictions and more. These are just two examples of many.
An old country song by Rodney Atkins describes this perfect. The son watches hears his father say a cuss word and later on, the son repeats it. Then, later the little boy hears his dad praying and he follows in his footsteps as well and prays. “I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that cool? I’m your buckaroo I want to be like you”.
We have the ability to be the gateway to our children. Are we going to be the gateway to heaven or be the gateway to hell? Better yet, are you going to let the world bet the gateway for them?
God is Good…
30 Second Thoughts 