The Shining moment in my life came when my brother and I got into a fight and he ran to his room and closed his door. This act of cowardice infuriated me but unlike Jack Nicholson I did not use an axe to tear the door apart, I used my fists. I conjured up the strength of the Incredible Hulk and used every Bruce Lee move that I could think of to tear through that door. In what seemed like an eternity in reality only took a few minutes but I paid the price with some bloody knuckles and some bruises on my head. Needless to say, my knuckles and my head were not the only parts of my body that suffered that day. It’s not fun when your father makes you pick out the branch on the tree!

Unfortunately, this is how most of us spend our lives. We are good at beating on doors and it frustrates us to no end when they don’t open. Nothing is worse than thinking that a door should open for you only to have remained closed and not matter how hard you beat on it you just can’t seem to breakthrough. It hurts, it’s discouraging, it’s confusing, and it’s disheartening. We’ve all been there and most of us are still there. In fact, I don’t believe there is a one of us who is not standing in front of some door praying for it to open. Unless you have given up on praying, and I pray that you haven’t, your focus and energy are on getting through that door. Somehow, someway you are determined to not let this door keep you from your next job promotion, your new home, your new car, healing in your body, or salvation for a loved one. It could be that you are standing in front of that door waiting for the child that you have always wanted.

So, what do we do with these closed doors? I have a few thoughts and observations based upon personal experience.

1. Our focus is off. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being determined and with praying through for something. I believe God honors and loves this about us. But, I believe that what He loves even more is for us to focus on Him and not on the door. Matthew 23:27 tells us to, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Jesus does not tell us to love God with some of our heart, soul, and mind, He wants it ALL. Boy, that’s hard to do sometimes isn’t it? When we want that new job, new car, new home, or when we wonder where the next meal will come from it just consumes us. It’s in our nature. But, here is the good news in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” When we learn to put God first in all that we do and in all that we say He honors His Word and will provide for our needs. He’s faithful to His promises! It’s all about OUR focus.

2. Some doors aren’t meant to be open. Oh man! Why did I have to bring that up? I just encouraged us to refocus and spoke about God’s promises and now I have to go and talk about closed doors! Rev 3:7-8 says this, “These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. ⁸ I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” God will open and close the doors. It’s a matter of trust on our end to give Him the credit that He knows what He is doing even in times of frustration and anger towards Him. He knows our deeds, our hopes, our dreams, and our struggles and in His time and in His way He will open the right one. Closed doors being a positive thing doesn’t make sense to us but how many of you are thankful that your current job, home, car, etc. . . are perhaps not the ones that you wanted? I know that I’m thankful that I did not marry some of the people I dated and waited for the right girl to come along:) Those closed doors were a blessing!

3. Promotion comes from God. Honestly, isn’t this really how we want to receive our promotion? To know that God opened the door when no one else could is an awesome thing! Joseph is a guy that comes to mind. When he was young, around 17years old, he had a few visions that didn’t really sit well with his brothers. Most 17 year old guys are pretty cocky. I knew that I was! For the next 13 years Joseph spent time in a pit, was sold into slavery, was hit on by a married woman and wrongly accused, thrown into prison and then forgotten. All throughout the story of Joseph (Genesis 37-47) the Bible says that “God was with Joseph.” Why? Because Joseph remained faithful to God and in due time Joseph was released from prison and placed in the 2nd most important leadership role in all of Egypt. I don’t doubt for one minute that Joseph was not happy in a pit, in slavery, in prison, or feeling forgotten but He never lost sight of God and simply trusted Him.

I don’t know where you are but I know where I am and where I have been and I know that some closed doors don’t make sense to me. But, if we would learn to focus on God, thank Him for closed doors and remain faithful then in His time and in His way He will open the right door. Trust me, it will save you the pain of bloody knuckles and a bruised head.