Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Revelation 3:20 NKJV
Pondering the difference a door can make is quite thought-provoking.
A door creates a way when there was no way. Years ago we decided that our daily life activities would flow much more freely in the busy mornings of family life if we had a door between two spaces that were walls apart. So we made a door. A wall says, "You cannot go further." A door says, "There is a way through." Jesus said, "I am the door” (John 10:9 NKJV). Christ opened the door to forgiveness, peace with God, and eternal life.
A door is a boundary between two different realities. One side may be dark, the other bright. One side may be frightening, the other side calming. One side may be isolation, the other side community. A door takes us from one place to another. Through repentance and faith in Christ we leave a kingdom of darkness and walk into the new Kingdom of God.
An open door offers welcome and access. A closed, locked door keeps people out. An open door says, “There’s room for you! Come on in!” The word gospel itself means good news. The gospel good news is the story of welcome and access. We are welcomed to God’s presence, God’s grace, and God’s family. When we walk through that door it becomes the primary privilege to hold the door open for others, welcoming them into the family.
A door can lead into a new season. Some doors close and others open. We have all experienced joy and excitement when what we call an open door presents new opportunities and possibilities for us. But we have also experienced confusion, disappointment, and even fear when a door closes. Something that once was a source of fulfillment and satisfaction is taken away. It is normal to grieve many closed doors because we focus on what we are leaving behind. Yet many of the most delightful and fulfilling blessings we receive from God come through unexpected and undesired closed doors. We find new relationships, new ministries, new opportunities to trust and obey, and we “expand our territory” as Jabez prayed (1 Chronicles 4:10). Don’t assume a closed door is failure or rejection; it may be God redirecting to a new season of surprising fulfillment and productivity.
A door requires a response. Just because you come to a door doesn’t mean you will go through it, even if it is standing wide open. You can choose to walk through the door, turn around, and walk in the other direction, or simply stand in the hallway. To get the benefit of what is on the other side of the door, we must walk through it. A door is an invitation to act.
- God often presents opportunities, invitations, and callings by closing one door and opening another. What doorway in your life has your attention today? What is God asking you to do?