Open Doors

Verses

1 Corinthians 16:8-9
But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost,  because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.

Thoughts
There are a lot of closed doors these days, aren’t there? I was listening to a podcast the other day where a writer was saying that without the potential to lean into the future, have ideas about new things and make plans, that we become less than human. I actually disagree with that, but it certainly showed how powerless people are feeling.

What I found encouraging in this verse, is that Paul wasn’t looking for this open door either. He was on his way. Going according to his plans. And then “a great door for effective work” opened, and he stopped everything. He changed his plans because he saw God’s opportunity and stepped into it.

During this time when so many doors are closed, I want to encourage us all to not stop looking for the ones that are open. Often these doors will be ones we wouldn’t normally be able to see because of the pace of life, etc. What doors are open to you now that others are closed? What opportunities to do “effective work” for God are now laying before you? 

And be careful not to make this scarier than it needs to be. The work of God often is as small as a seed. So it’s not like you have to come up with some grand idea. I’m talking about daily finding those open doors, and pausing (like Paul) to invest. It could be a family member, or a moment to yourself. It could be a phone call or a text to someone hurting. It could be an idea for a way to serve others, or a ministry. Who knows?

My main point is just to encourage us all to keep our eyes open for the doors God may be opening. You never know when God may invite you to join him in his work!