The Gate Is Still Beautiful Despite the Ugly Experiences

Why You Must Not Let Pain Rename What God Calls Good

Jan 05, 2025

I was reflecting on the miraculous healing of the lame man at the Beautiful Gate in Acts 3, and it occurred to me that we often have a tendency to define the Beautiful Gate by the experience or situation of the man who sat by it, rather than calling it by its actual name—the Beautiful Gate.

It’s not unlikely that some people might describe the gate as "the place where the lame man used to sit." In doing so, the actual name is overshadowed and replaced by the condition of the man who sat there.

The same is true today.

We tend to define institutions or situations by the experiences of those within them, rather than their intended purpose or actual identity. People often define the gates God has placed them by their personal experiences.

For example.

Marriage

Marriage has been called many names today, largely because of the experiences of people within it. Unfortunately, this has led some to seek alternatives such as cohabitation or single parenting.

Some describe marriage as a "necessary evil." Women have popularized clichés like "Men are scum," while men caution each other with statements like "Don’t trust a woman."

But here’s the point:

The fact that many have had bad experiences in marriage does not make marriage itself bad. Marriage is still a beautiful gate. The issue lies with individuals who, like the lame man, are struggling at this beautiful gate.

While some may condemn marriage due to their painful experiences, there are countless others who have walked through this beautiful gate and found joy and fulfillment. The problem is not the gate but the condition of the person sitting by it.

Your Location or Nation

It may be hard to believe that your current location or Nation is still a beautiful gate, given your current challenges. Yet, history reminds us that even 'houses of bread' like Bethlehem can face famine, a famine so severe that Elimelech left for Moab.

What matters is how we respond.

While Elimelech fled, Boaz stayed in Bethlehem, built an enterprise, and became a mighty man of wealth.

This shows that our experiences should not define the gate. Instead, we should ask God to heal our "lameness" and enable us to fully embrace the beauty of the gate where He has placed us.