An open door

meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, - Colossians 4v3

‘Open doors’ is an interesting topic. We are, or should be, always looking for open doors to share the gospel. Sometimes our answer to a closed door is just to kick it in, smashing the door frame like some ‘God cop’ to boldly confront someone with the gospel. I knew a ‘soul winner’ who had safety shoes to wear when he went door-to-door ‘soul winning.” Why? So that as soon as someone opened the door he could stick his foot in so that the open door could not be shut.

From this text I am not so sure that opening doors is our job, but His. ‘Pray for us,’ Paul wrote, ‘That God would open a door for the word for us.”

Let me share a very recent example. I have two friends (well I hope I have more than two, but you get the point). For the purpose of this anecdote let me call them Andrew and Steve. Andrew is lost, and a long time friend. Steve is a Christian who has joined with me in being burdened for Andrew’s salvation. Steve has been praying for about three years for an open door to witness to Andrew and because of circumstance time was running short for that door to open. Yesterday, out of the clear blue sky, Andrew, who works in a religious school, asked Steve to come and share his testimony with a religion class. The great thing was that while Steve shared the gospel Andrew was sitting in the room! God opened the right door at the right time for Steve to share the gospel!

I know for a fact that there were times when Steve wanted to kick the door down. I have been the same with Andrew, but God, in his time, has opened the door for me as well. Instead though, Steve waited for God to open the door, and He did so in a marvellous way. Just think - if Steve had kicked in the door in his time, none of the teens in that room would have heard the gospel.

Praise God for open doors! And while you are at it, pray for Andrew. God will know who you are taking about.