This Door
This morning (on the day this was originally written), I and mum had a good mom-to-son discussion. I was listening to Tim Godfrey's 'Gbemisoke', with my earpiece tightly clung to my ears. The instrumental portion of the song forced me to dance along the rhythmic steps with a great fervour. Actually, the earpiece was already half-dead, and wouldn't be accepted by a layman even if gifted. I wasn't ready to buy a new one. I danced so passionately that my mum couldn't help but laugh. And suddenly, the song abruptly stopped. I wondered why it stopped. Later, I found out that the earpiece died itself. It was time to have it thrown out.
My mum laughed at me. Then she said something that triggered a discussion.
"Olorun moomo je ki earpiece yii baje, ki o le ramin" (God has deliberately allowed this earpiece to spoil, so you'd buy a new one."
Then she said further,
"When God closes a door, He opens another. Go and buy a new earpiece."
This statement reminded me about this popular man in Nigeria, Samuel Akins.
Samuel Akins worked in a bank for fifteen years until there was a change in management and he was laid off. After searching for another job for months, he came to the realisation that his skills set was useful in the banking industry and the banks had no vacancy for a man at his level.
After he bemoaned his situation for a few more months, he started praying and asking The Lord what to do with his life. That was when the Lord stirred up an idea he had given him some years earlier which was to venture into real estate development. When The Lord gave him that idea, he was comfortable in the bank and refused to explore it. But after months of joblessness and dwindling financial resources, he was desperate for solutions to his situation, so he pursued and developed that idea.
Today, the company he launched about ten years ago have built impressive estates in various cities in Nigeria.
In an interview, he ascribed his success to ‘the door God shut by being laid off at his bank.’ He said if that hadn’t happened, he wouldn’t have ventured out to launch his company which has brought him immense success and emotional satisfaction.
Now, this is my point: There are good doors that the Lord shuts.
Surprised?
Please, don't be.
Yes, it is The Lord shutting good doors and not the enemy. The enemy can do nothing unless The Lord permits him. So we have nothing to be afraid of.
Why then does The Lord shut good doors, doors that have been a blessing to us, increased us, promoted us? The Lord shuts a door when you have outgrown it. If The Lord doesn’t shut some doors we may never feel the need to venture, step out to dare new things. We may remain at the same position for a long time instead of stretching our faith to move on to more exciting opportunities in life.
If The Lord doesn’t shut some doors, we will never grow and attain our full potential in life. The Lord shuts a door when he has something better planned for you. He shuts it when this present door has become a hindrance to your moving on to fulfil the assignment on your life for the season. He shuts the door to reposition you in the centre of His will for that season of your life.
We often ascribe negative connotations to a shut door. We mostly attribute a shut door to an enemy working against us in some way, but it isn’t always so.
A shut door is not a ‘spiritual attack.’
A shut door is not your enemies fighting against your progress.
A shut door is not God punishing you for your mistakes, sins and misdeeds.
A shut door is not karma or any of that new age nonsense being peddled around by motivational speakers!
A shut door is and can be a blessing.
May The Lord open our eyes to see this.
When The Lord opens a door, it is a blessing. When The Lord shuts a door, it is also a blessing. So no matter which way the door goes, it is a blessing to you as long as you are in pursuit of God’s will for your life.
Just because you were sacked in your place of work, doesn't mean you're being monitored and controlled from/by the 'village people.' Just because that relationship ended, doesn't mean the enemy is at work.
Certain doors may close in our lives, so as for us to see the other DOOR, God is opening, to uplift us! Just as the door to the earpiece I held so dear got shut, another door for a NEW, BEAUTIFUL earpiece opened. Come to my house to have a look at it.
For those who will humble themselves and seek The Lord for clarity and direction in the place of prayer, may The Lord grant you grace and wisdom to align yourself with His will, so that you may step into the OPEN DOOR He has set BEFORE you as you walk away from the SHUT DOOR BEHIND you!
Remain blessed.
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