Stop Opening Doors!

Do you ever feel “stuck” in your circumstances? I do.

I wonder when God will reveal my ultimate “life’s call” to me. I wonder when He will place me in that “dream job.” I wonder when the next, more exciting serving opportunity will come along. I wonder when, when, when, when, and yes, of course, I get VERY impatient while I’m waiting on Him for all of the answers. It seems as though despite many examples of Him moving in HIS way and in HIS timing over the course of my very own life, oh, I trust Him – I’m just lacking in patience….

Yes, I am majorly lacking in the patience department.

And in that fleshly impatience of mine I search (a lot). I look for serving opportunities, and job opportunities, and relationship opportunities, and, and, and, and………….. (fill in the blank).

Sometimes, I even try to manipulate my situation……….. (gasp!)

So often, I forget to thank Him for my current circumstances. They may not be the circumstances of MY choice, or the job of my choice, or the location of my choice, or, or, or, or………. (again, fill in the blank)! But He has me right where I am, not just for a REASON, but for a season as well!

I am so quick to repeat that familiar line, “When God closes one door, He always opens another,” phrase in an attempt to encourage another.

But how quickly I run around looking for doors I can pry open for mySELF. And the truth is, sometimes, I think I worry that I’ll somehow “miss” the door I am supposed to walk through. (Yes, I am, at times, arrogant enough to believe I can somehow screw up God’s divine plans).

But the truth of the matter is, He wants us to stop opening doors. He doesn’t NEED us to open doors. In fact, He doesn’t even need us to LOOK for open doors.

He just needs us to be obedient, ready and willing to walk through the doors that HE chooses to open.

Today is the very last day of a vacation for me, and some much-needed time & opportunity to nestle into His Word and remember just how blessed I am. In the past week, I have slowed down and enjoyed my home, my family, my friends, and have not “looked” for any doors to “pry” open. And literally, in a state of thankfulness this morning, a door swung wide open. I didn’t even need to touch the knob.

So slow down. Be thankful for the circumstances that He has chosen for you right now. It’s not forever. Maybe He is growing you right where you are (and me too, right where I am). Stop trying so hard to pry doors open, and just be obedient and prepared to walk through the ones that HE chooses. That’s it. It’s just that simple.