As a faith-centered leader, when you see an opportunity in life or business, you may have the thought “God is opening a door”. The Bible teaches that God does direct the path of those who follow Him. Psalm 37:23-24 says, “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” Proverbs 20:24 tells us, “The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?” And Proverbs 19:21 reminds us, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” The fact that God knows us as His followers, and puts options, tasks, directions and decisions in front of us, is prevalent throughout Scripture.
If God “opens doors”, then does He also close them? Are there times where you lose a job or a client, or change your role, or a friendship is broken, or a series of circumstances bring about a major change in life—and that’s God at work? This view is also consistent with Scripture. Proverbs 3:5-6 instructs us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” If we do trust God, then He will direct us on a clear path.[1] A belief that God will give us a path that is best for us also means a belief that God will help us avoid paths that are not good for us. How do you know, then, if God is using a “closed door” in your life or work to direct you? There are a few character traits of God that can help you know with greater certainty:
God will never contradict His Word. Often if an option looks good from our perspective, and gets cut off, we may react by thinking, “But doesn’t God want this for me?” or “Doesn’t God want me to be happy?” The answer is that God will never put your wants or happiness above His own wants, and His own desire for you to be holy and obedient. Obedient to what? To His Word.[2] He has given us instructions in the Bible that cover a vast swatch of the decisions, situations and encounters we will have in life. If we are faithful to obey what He has already told us, we will also gain an understanding of His will so that we can also be obedient in the situations where the Bible is not absolutely specific.
Any “open door” or “closed door” will always be consistent with God’s Word. For instance, God will not tempt you (James 1:13-14). God will not want you in a serious relationship with someone who is not a Christ follower (2 Corinthians 6:14). God will not want you to have a role that prevents you from meeting together for worship regularly (Hebrews 10:24). When a door closes for you, pray about it, and open God’s Word on the subject to help you determine if the choice being removed is consistent with what the Bible says. Often you will find that clearly it is not. And when the choice is not as clear, consider if what is behind that closing door is completely consistent with the character of God Himself.
God will always act in ways that increase your dependence on Him. An interesting way to view a closed door is that it may lead to more self-reliance on the part of the Christ-follower. In the Bible we see God often putting His leaders in positions that specifically require their dependence on God for success. In Jeremiah we read, “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord” (Jeremiah 17:5). Then a few verses later, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8).
The lesson in these verses is that God curses those who rely on their own strength, and blesses those who rely on and trust in Him. Consider, then, whether the option being closed off to you because it is self-sufficient, or does not increase your dependence on God. Success as defined in the marketplace is often attributed to skill, experience, intuition or courage on the part of the leader. The great names in leadership get credit for their own clever thinking and actions. God-centered leaders instead rely on God for their direction. As a result God may choose to close off an option ahead. Scripture tells us this is a blessing to us.
God will often offer confirmation from other Christians. Closed doors can also be confirmed by spiritual mentors of confidants. God often speaks through brothers in Christ to give you a perspective outside of your own mind which is in keeping with His Word. Proverbs 19:20 says, “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.” And advice at all phases in life from godly brothers is warranted: “Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice” (Ecclesiastes 4:13).
How do you know if wisdom offered is from God? It has certain characteristics. James 3:17 says, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” If you see an option closed off to you, pray and ask godly friends about it. You may hear from them, “That doesn’t sound like it would be a good fit for you”, or “That doesn’t seem in keeping with what God would want you to do,” or “Have you considered this area you might have overlooked?” Wise, seasoned advice is a powerful tool for a leader in thinking through options and decisions.
Whether a door is opened or closed by God, it is designed to lead you down a path of His choosing and is for our best. In life and leadership, some of the most beneficial and wonderful choices we have come from unexpected places, and because of circumstances beyond our control. We may not understand why something is happening, why an option is closed to us, in the moment. A great thought in these times is what God thinks of doors. Jesus says in John 10:9, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” This is a great reminder that God indeed does open doors, and that the greatest door He opens is the one that leads to our salvation. If He opens that door, then certainly the ones He closes are in our best interest as well.
People in general and leaders in particular are proficient in making choices. Our culture is organized around constant choice-making. Choices are literally everywhere, all the time.