GOD AND DOORS

Friends,

Today I am talking about opportunities; good ones, not so good ones and just plain bad ones.
It is pointless to say we are “waiting for God to open or close doors.” Jesus said “it is finished.” He is our King, not our doorman. We must learn which doors to open and which to shut from our study of the Bible, by seeking the council of wise and capable people and by properly applying our own experience.

Learning to do such things makes us more like Christ. Becoming more like Christ brings glory to God. [e-mail sent to me]

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Reply from Curtis:

My friend, good thoughts. However, let me pose a little twist on your perspective. "Waiting" can be the most active thing to do. Henri J. M. Nouwen, the Christian writer, once wrote a journal article for Weavings entitled "Active-Waiting." In this particular article he pointed out that Jesus' ministry was very active up until the time he was betrayed. After he was betrayed ("handed over") to the religious officials, his ministry went from active to passive.

Often God does his greatest work when we are in the passive mode of waiting. It is a waiting characterized by humility, agony, inner angst, no clear or discernible action by God, a commitment to mission, willingness to forgive those who have hurt us, and courageous faith in the face of death. It is this kind of waiting that comes out of a desire to please God and see His will done on the earth through us.

I would say that yes, "we must learn which doors to open and which to shut," as well as to spend some quiet time refraining from opening and closing doors ourselves. Out of this quietness comes a calm assurance that God will indeed open and close doors, perhaps not in our timing, but our prayer is for discernment for two things: to be the answer to someone else's prayers for doors to be opened, and to allow God to open doors for us that are impossible for us to open ourselves! Yours in Jesus, Curtis