Doors of Opportunity

There is another type of “door” or “doors” that God uses in each believer’s life; doors that guide our daily living and life here on earth. We recognize life is full of decisions that affect not only those around us but affect our future as well. Very early on in scripture, in Genesis 4 verse 7, God uses a door as an illustration looking into Cain’s attitude and how sin was lurking outside this door. Then right away, in verse 8, Cain walks through that door and kills his brother. Cain made a conscience decision to thrust open a door that God had obviously closed as a barrier to guide him away from sinning.

Genesis 4:7

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.

What is a door? When we think of a door, we know that doors are associated with a building, interior doors, and exterior doors. Interior doors allow you to roam from room to room within any given structure. Entering and exiting each room can subtly or dramatically change your environment yet, you remain in the same structure or let’s say level of comfort. Exterior doors can completely remove you, not just to a new environment but a completely new structure.

As you move within a structure, you gain a level of comfort in walking from room to room through these open doors because you have seen others walk through these doors and seen where others have succeeded or failed and perhaps learned from their mistakes. These are doors of familiarity. Nothing scary here. Decisions in this structure, this life come relatively easy. But what about those other doors, doors that lead to drastic changes.

I look back at my high school years and remember walking through one of those drastic change type doors well before graduation thus closing other doors of opportunity. My classmates however, had many more doors of opportunity available to them and had to make a choice on which to open and walk though. Some went to college, others to trade school, others like myself to the military. Each of us made a decision based on the doors of opportunity set before us. Other doors were there for me but because of a lack of preparation, lack of caring or divine providence, these doors remain closed.

There are doors of decision each of us have made throughout our lives, some life altering, others personal preferences. What school we attended, what career path, who we will marry. As believers, we read God’s word and hold to it as our handbook for life. Funny thing is, God didn’t tell me to go into the service or to go to college. He sure enough didn’t have it written in the pages of scripture to pack up and move to North Carolina. There were plenty of open doors after I had retired. I began flipping houses, I was part of a church ministry and church family where God called me to be a pastor, I was willingly walking through each door as He was guiding me. I truly believed I was right where He wanted me to be. As He opened doors of opportunity in North Carolina, I was good at first, then got cold feet, I was completely comfortable in the structure I was in, with all those nice, familiar interior doors. I called the realtor and cancelled the move. It was within minutes, that God had begun to remind me of prayers and promises I had made to Him. Prayers like, “just get me to retirement and I’ll go where you want me to go and do what you want me to do.” Disappointing God and my wife, who was excited about the move, was more than I could bear. I called the realtor the following day to see if it was too late complete the deal.

I look back at everything God had done in the years leading up to this move. Good choices, bad choices, each trial, each heartache, every victory He prepared us to be in a place where He could use us in changing people’s lives. God orchestrated the entire process by opening and closing doors throughout my entire life to bring me to this moment right here and right now. He will do the same for you if you’ll let Him. Oh, you can resist and bash doors in like Cain, but I can tell you that there is no better place to be in the center of God’s will. There you will find people struggling through circumstances that God has already delivered you from. I often tell people, that God has brought me here, all the way from the mountains in Maryland for just this moment, just for you, to help you guide through the doors God has set before you. There is a door, this very moment set before you, listen as He softly and tenderly calls you:

Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.