Open and Closed Doors

How do you tend to make big decisions?

My natural inclination is start forming a “pros and cons” list, adding up the columns to determine which outcome makes the most sense.

While that process feels logical, it can “con” us because the choices are limited to our best thinking in the moment. Where we see three possible options, God sees infinite possibilities. But he will leave us to our three if we refuse to invite him into the process. Thankfully, he stands ready to share his higher options once we’re ready to release our best options.

But often, rather than look to God, I look at which doors before me are opening or closing.

I’m guessing you can relate. Send out three queries for your project. Two decline. So we shrug our shoulders and assume God must be the one who closed those doors. Then the third company responds positively. Hope rises. It must be a sign from God, right? So we say yes. Then, if things don’t go well, we feel misled by God.

But the problem wasn’t God not coming through. Using open and closed doors to determine next steps is a dangerously flawed approach because it lets doors determine your future rather than God.  

It’s important to remember that every open door isn’t from God—while some closed ones are. Perhaps a closed door is God’s way of teaching you the practice of patience. Or the skill to unlock a closed door. An open door might be a distraction from the enemy. He has endless doors of distraction. He doesn’t much care which door we go through as long as it keeps us from the one that leads to true freedom.

How are we to know next steps? By shifting our eyes from doors to God...and asking him. We gain clarity and peace when we focus on the Creator rather than the doors before us.

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