We’ve all been there—staring at a closed door, rattling the knob, and wondering why God won't just hand over the key. In my own life, especially when navigating my career and reflecting on my time in the military, I've had to learn that when we assume what a "Good God" should do, we end up attaching our hope to our own expectations. If God doesn’t follow our plan, it only leads to frustration and a desire to hold Him accountable.
Redefining the Closed Door I recently wrote in my journal that no matter how much talent you have, without God placing opportunities in your path, you won't achieve or maximize your talents. I had to accept that my human ability is nothing without God. We have to stop trying to open doors we do not have the keys to, and that we believe we should have access to.
God wants to open our eyes to see the opportunities He has for us, but we are often too busy to realize that the opportunities He takes away were intentional. I've learned firsthand that we can't be so blind and slow to not see that the doors He closes are as much of a blessing as the ones He opens.
Faith is a Behavior, Not a Feeling On the podcast, Efrain and I talk a lot about navigating life's challenges, and one of the hardest parts is the "space between". God calls you to do something today that He will explain much later. The space between obeying today and the explanation later is FAITH.
As Efrain and I often discuss, faith is not a feeling; it is a behavior. You cannot fix a situation with emotions. You can go through it with shaky hands and knees, but you have to step out.
Here are a few ways I'm learning to practically walk through this season of waiting:
Humble Yourself and Praise: While you are waiting for God to open up the door He has for you, do the next best thing and humble yourself by praising Him while you wait.
Silence the "What Ifs": The devil uses "what if" to keep you from doing what God called you to do.
Prepare for the Door: The doors of tomorrow's opportunity swing on the hinges of today's obedience.
If you find yourself in a waiting room today, remember that waiting rooms are simply areas of preparation. God's primary priority is your character, not your external conflicts, and He develops your character to match your calling so you aren't crushed by it.
Are you ready to stop fighting your future and start trusting the process? Join Efrain and me on "Walking the Narrow Path". Stream our latest episodes now on Amazon Music and Audible as we prepare to dive even deeper into trusting closed doors in our upcoming Episode 5: The Hinges of Opportunity!