Open Doors

Warning. Not all open doors should be walked through. Not all opportunities are supposed to be accepted. There are some situations that look good that we need to say no thanks to and walk away. Just because it’s covered in sugar doesn’t mean it’s sweet. I made the mistake thinking that because the man was nice to me and treated me well and expressed love to me that it was a blessing and a huge opportunity for me. I was very wrong. There are four types of doors to avoid. 

1. Doors of situations opposite of what God is guiding us to. We see the door and know it is not the one. Maybe it doesn’t seem as exciting or it’s just too scary or we just don’t like it. However, another one opens behind us and is much more what we would prefer. Jonah faced this issue. He was told to go preach to Nineveh. “But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.” (Jonah 1:3) The ship waiting was an open door. He still had a chance to do the right thing, but an opportunity for him to get away lay waiting. Unfortunately for him he ran through that door into the belly of a whale. Now we may not run into any whales (or will we…), but we can still find ourselves running away from doing the right thing.

2. Doors that are temptations from the enemy. The devil tempted Jesus with food, money and power. “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”” (Matthew 4:8-9) Some doors can be jobs offering more money at the expense of time spent with our families. Positions of power could fall in our laps as we lose ourselves and our identities. These doors are indeed enticing but look within to see if it would be a positive addition. Make sure to think it through from all angles. 

3. Doors we intentionally create for ourselves. “One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful” (2 Samuel 11:2). David walked through a forbidden door and slept with a married woman. He created an opportunity and nothing got in his way. He got away with it at first but that did not mean it was right. It led to lies and murder and the death of a child. It took  fasting and repentance and much regret for David to make things right again. 

4. Finally, doors that lead to comfort. In essence, what I mean are doors that lead away from challenges that could propel us to the next level. For example, Esther was queen. She lived in a huge palace and was safe, but her people were not. One door led to her continuing her comfortable life though for how much longer? When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. (Esther 4:12-13). The one door led to the opportunity of risking death and saving her people. It looked like a scary door but it was the right door. The other door looked more stable but it was the wrong door. 

Discernment is key. Being aware of whether something or someone is going to be good for you or has your best interests at heart is helpful for avoiding traps and awful situations. However I’m not saying this will help you avoid all and every bad situation out there. Some valleys still need to be crossed to climb up out onto the other side. But it is great to avoid the unnecessary ones. No need to struggle with Phil who will break your heart if it can be avoided. With each door coming your way, commit it to God. Use the wisdom he gives you to understand if you should walk away or walk through. He has the answers for you.