When the Closed Doors Lead the Way…

~We are nervous to walk through open doors…

~We are anxious as to when THE door (or any door!) will open…

~We stress over which open door we should walk through...

~We worry when the open door closes…

It seems we often put too much emphasis on THE open door.

When we went through a recent stressful search for THE open door, I struggled with whether we should take initiative when there appeared to be no doors, or, if we should sit and twiddle our thumbs while we waited for an open door. The struggle was real! Once again, too much emphasis was placed on the open door.

…Until a friend posted a verse… a verse that totally changed my perspective… What if it’s the closed door on which we should depend on to lead us forward?

Several years ago, dear friends of ours, former missionaries, began scratching their heads regarding difficulty (closed doors) in returning to their field. They prayed for and sought open doors, but ‘nothing’. While serving at their home church during this stressful time the church needed to call a new pastor. Our friends faithfully served and assisted their church during this time. As God would have it, our friend was called to become the pastor of that church. He posted I Corinthians 16:8-9 as their ‘open door’. Their closed door had become their open door.

This verse and their circumstance really encouraged Greg and me during this stretch of our lives. I made this image of the passage to remind us to remain faithful and allow closed doors to lead the way.

Before we come to the end, I’d also like to consider the flip side of the open door ‘problem’. As indicated in our list above, sometimes, having to choose between multiple open doors is just as stressful. Here’s a word for you to consider as well. Psalm 37:4 speaks of God giving you the desires of your heart if you delight in Him. If your goal is to please the Lord in every decision you make, then I encourage you to choose the door that best fits your interests and talents. Choose the door you would truly like to walk through.

Thirtyish years ago, the Lord opened a door for our family that excited us. But, there were those who questioned if it was really God’s plan for us, or, if we accepted just because it was what we wanted. I replied, “It’s a decision we made based on our desire to please God. If for some reason God has a different plan for us, He will find a way to stop us.” Actually, I said, “If it’s not God’s plan, He will cause our new ministry location to ‘blow up’ so we can’t go.” We were that confident in our decision.

~Trust God to close the door!~

By the way, we served faithfully in that ministry for 25 years. I’d say it was the ‘correct‘ door.

In summary, if there are no open doors, or, if doors appear to close, your only option may be to stay put! Maybe God’s plan for you right now is to serve faithfully where you are. Allow that closed or unopened door —or lack of doors —to lead you along your path.

Trust Him where you are…

Trust the closed door~

Debbie