As Christians, we talk about God “opening doors” to us as a means of His revealing His will. What we are asking God to do is engineer our circumstances to match what we think would be best. The problem is that we misunderstand what the door is. Jesus said He is the door. Circumstances are irrelevant, for no one can shut the door that Jesus opens (Rev. 3:8). If you have substituted activity for your relationship with Christ, then circumstances can disrupt your activity. When the activity is hindered, you may assume the door has been closed. Yet, if Christ is the door in your life, He will guide you into every experience of Him that He wants, and there will be nothing that people can do to stop Him. When Paul and Silas were thrown into prison at Philippi, it appeared that the door to their ministry in Greece had been violently and firmly closed (Acts 16:22–24). The reality of their situation, however, was that their Lord had opened a door of ministry to a previously unreached group of men in prison. The Philippian jailer and his household would become a significant nucleus of the new church in Philippi. From a human perspective, a door had been closed; from God's perspective, Paul and Silas continued to minister exactly where God wanted them to. When people oppose us, we may try to take matters into our own hands to accomplish what we think God wants. This reveals that we do not really believe Jesus is the door for our lives. If we did, we would be assured that through Christ we have access to everything He wants to do in and through us. - Blackaby Experiencing God Day by Day
Our impressions of situations tend to get us into trouble without our having realized it.
Our impressions on what constitutes life, let alone a successful life lead us into trouble.
We all have heard people say things that were meant to motivate us into actions.
We also have been taught many wrong perceptions of what life is about as well.
We think we know a direction and just as Blackaby is saying, start praying for 'doors' to be opened. We see people we love or care about and the direction of their lives aren't going as we would like and pray, honestly, something selfish about changing the circumstances we SEE.
God doesn't see things like death as an end. It's a transition. Salvation is from death to life. Physical death is from what we physically see, if we are in Christ, to standing before Him in a moment. For unbelievers it's from what they see to standing in Hell. Blunt but that's the truth of God's Word. Scripture says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. If you are absent from the body as an unsaved person your next moment is in Hell. Jesus conquered sin death and the grave. It applied to everyone. But our choice to accept or reject Christ determines where we go next.
Doors. Opportunity.
I have my thoughts on a career. But the reality is my career is what God says it is.
I have friends at a crossroads too. Had had the same career for a long time. Neither of us is seeing 'open doors'. What it seems that God's really saying is do what I give you to do. Not by sight but by faith.
People also get zealous when they think they have it all figured out in what God is doing and surge ahead. Problem with that is you are leading in those situations not God.
We still tend to bring our sight along on a faith journey. An emulator is a bit of software that mimics the original so closely its hard to tell it from the original. We tend to try to emulate our physical perceptions into our Spiritual world. We see things happening and jump the gun on what's next.
If we truly believe Jesus is the door, why do we look for other doors?
I am certainly in limbo in my career. Desiring to do more and achieve more it sort of feels like my boat has no movement. I can put my paddles in the water but it does me no good without a direction.
It appeared that 4 months ago I had it all figured out. The next big step. I was evidently wrong. Because I didn't just get what I had believed was next for me. In fact I am to train someone else to do what I desired. The position wasn't for me to keep. My vision of a future wasn't God's.
My dear reader please keep in mind our earthly jobs are intended to have heavenly consequences. What we do is meant to further the Kingdom of God. From the greatest to the least in the Church that is why we are still here. It isn't to get a diploma or a degree. It isn't even about saving humanity from a virus. It's about lives lived in such a way that the unsaved and unbelieving know they experienced God today. It isn't about prosperity. It isn't about fine cars and houses. It isn't even about fancy church buildings. It is about what we do in this life for Christ.
But what about what horrible things my government is doing!?! They are taking away my rights! My friend have you prayed about it or are you just going in endless circles complaining about it? If you are a believer in Jesus you have an Advocate. What's the purpose of having an Advocate, the Holy Spirit, if you aren't using Him? It is like being in court, having Perry Mason, the fictional best lawyer ever, as a lawyer yet telling him to sit and be quiet, you got this!
Where is your Spiritual sight taking you?
We can walk with God but still forget He leads the way. Psalm 23.
We can be with Jesus yet forget who it is that sees what we see.
Our peace eludes us at times because we see the storm yet forget who is in the boat with us. We cry out to God yet forget He is in us.
I ask Jesus to go with me into work each day. I am not wise enough to live my life by my sight. I will deceive myself. I will believe what my physical eyes see. Jesus wants the Spiritual eyes to be developed.
He is the way, He is the door. No power on earth can stop His preordained plans for us if we but trust Him. Raging against your fellow man shows your lack of belief that God's got this.
Pray for your obedience today.
Pray for your heart to be right before God today.
Pray for your circumstances but be ready for God to change them.
Grumble not but see the hand of God and thank Him for the day.
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