I’ve been thinking a lot about doors lately (if you follow me on Pinterest you’d see that in action!) — my dad recently built a gorgeous set of salon doors for my piano studio and the time and effort involved in making that happen was astounding to me.
There’s a huge process that has to take place in order for a door to be built: it has to be measured, cut, sanded, primed, painted. Not to mention the frame that goes around the door itself, the hardware to actually be able to close the door, and finally, the handles to be able to open and close the door with ease. I mean really — who knew that a door doesn’t just appear for you to walk through?! There are pink doors and black doors, white doors and yellow doors; French doors and ten-foot doors. Which doors are your preference? Which doors are the right door for the right situation? So many choices, so many decisions, so.many.doors!
Now let’s connect this to our spiritual lives: Jesus is the door we must walk through for salvation. He is not simply a frame, a whole in the wall — we don’t just walk through the opening. There might be a little bit of effort involved to go through that door, pushing addictions out-of-the-way or pulling the handle to open the door in order to get through. But regardless of what we have to do to open that door, we must go through the door to get to Jesus.
I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
{John 10:9 ESV}
There are all kinds of doors, yes; doors that allow us to enter a home, a building, a store. Interior doors and exterior doors. Doors that connect various rooms in our houses, doors to enter into our vehicles. Doors doors and more doors. How do you know which door to walk through? Is there a right door and a wrong door? Yes, there is a right door and a wrong door: we have enter and exit signs that give us direction on which way to go, to keep traffic moving smoothly, to prevent injury, to do away with confusion.
And in John 10:9, Jesus is telling us that HE is also a door! The ultimate door, for He is the door to our salvation. Our hope. Our peace. Our reason for living.
Jesus is the door that we should measure our lives to every day. Every day we are faced with situations, decisions, judgments and we must be willing to walk through those doors with certainty that we are making choices that align our hearts, minds, and lives directly with the door that brings us closer to Jesus.
He will not turn you away, darling; He will not lock you out, He will let you in through the door and will comfort you, love you, and protect you. You must simply walk through the door that will bring you closer to Him.
Here are three ways to know if the door you’re about to open will help you make the “right” decision:
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1. The right door will never contradict Jesus’ Word: “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” {I Corinthians 14:33 KJV}. Walk with peace through a door that does not oppose Scripture. Walk with confidence that Jesus will never challenge you to do something directly against His Inspired Word — the Bible.
2. The right door will always lead you closer to Jesus in your relationship with Him, not farther away: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” {Psalm 119:105}. Jesus is our very own flashlight, our very own travel guide, our personal body-guard, if you will — He will always lead you to a door that will bring you closer to Him. If you’re contemplating walking through a door that takes your further away from Him and His presence, there’s a pretty good chance it’s not the right door.
3. The right door will encourage you to live positively and with honesty: “Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying” {Romans 13:13}. Is the door you’re contemplating walking through encouraging good, godly behavior or is it taking you to places that fulfill the lusts of the flesh and the pride of life? The right door will encourage honesty, peace, and joy in your daily life; the wrong door will bring strife, contention, and unholy behavior.
Now, my darling, go in peace. Pray. Meditate on Jesus’ Word. Fill your heart and mind with songs of praise and worship. And make the right choice. Walk through the door that will bring your closer to Jesus.