HANGING OUT AT THE GATE

The stories of the Old Testament have always been very inspiring to me, especially when I have been able to peel away the obvious, and see what God is really revealing in the narrative. One of the more obscure of those stories that is very inspiring to me is found in Second Kings chapter 7:3-7. This is a story about four lepers sitting at the city gate. They asked each other, “Why sit here until we die?” There was famine in the city; so if they went back into the city they would die. If they stayed where they were they would die. If they went forward into the camp of the Syrians, there was a strong possibility that they would die. However, there was a slight chance that by going forward however slight that they just might find what they needed to survive.

In this ancient story there is modern application. In this passage of scripture the leprous men represent people in a situation that is less than desirable, in fact some would even say it was even hopeless. The city gates where they sit are representative of the present moment in time. The city itself represents the past. And the camp of the Syrians represents the uncertainty of the future and taking risks.

As we travel through life we often find ourselves in situations that are less than desirable. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations that seem hopeless. There are many different gates that we may find ourselves hanging out at.

It may be that your career has gotten of track and you are in position of stagnation. You've hit the proverbial glass ceiling, and there is no place for you to go within your particular company, or for that matter within your present line of work. It may be that you've made every lateral move there is to make, but for some reason you just can't advance.

Maybe it’s a supervisor or a superior that seems to thrive on making your life a living hell. Maybe it’s a co-worker whose petty jealousy and underhanded tricks have gotten on your last nerve. Maybe it’s that you are just tired of consigning your labor, your knowledge and experience in a deal that is less than equitable. You know that if you stay where you are, you’ll be there and unhappy the rest of your career. If you quit your job, you will lose everything you've worked so hard and so long for. If you stay there the stress will probably kill you before your time.

Maybe your stagnation is not related to your career at all, but you are stagnated in a personal relationship. You’ve grown weary of a relationship that’s not going anywhere. You have been on the receiving end of lies and deception and disappointments. Or maybe you have been on the giving end of your own relationship ruses.

Whatever the issue is, you are stuck in an untenable position. You deal with a plethora of emotions, but the one emotion that reigns supreme in your life is frustration. You know what your next step should be, but you are afraid to take it. In reality, although you are frustrated, you are comfortable.

You can identify with the lepers; you are in a hopeless situation. If you stay where you are you'll die from the misery of frustration, stagnation and unfilled dreams and potential. It’s impossible to go back to relive the past, and if you try to live in the past you'll die because there is nothing there to nurture or nourish you. Your only real choice is to take risk, and go forward. You really have nothing to lose!

When you step out of the stagnation of your present situation, and leave the accomplishments and failures of the past, and move forward, you do take a risk. There are no guarantees in life. However, just like the four lepers, going forward is a calculated risk. When you go forward, there is the possibility that you will be destroyed. But if you stay where are destruction is inevitable. When you take the risk, you may very well find that God has moved obstacles and made a way for you to achieve success and live.

Take a risk! Step out in faith! Go Forward! You can't go back, and you can't stay where you are. Your only choice is to take a chance!