The open door of opportunity

Every one of us has an open door to opportunity before us, but we allow obstacles to cloud our vision and stymie our growth.

Take a close look at your life, and you will see open doors in many areas. Regardless of age or stage of life, from grade school to college to a job to marriage, open doors of opportunity abound. For example, college is an open door of opportunity. One has a wide open door to grow, to achieve, to study. The path is paved. Or, take one’s job. The door is wide open to be the best at your position, to change the company, to change those around you by the way you steward your work. Or marriage. The door is absolutely wide open to love as Christ loved the church. Writing the book, starting the exercise program, pursuing the degree, reading the Bible daily, the wide open doors of opportunity are endless. Look at your life through the lens of opportunity and the view changes.

But………

The tendency is to insert a “but” behind the opportunity. Writing the book is an opportunity, but there is no time. The exercise program is a wide open door before me, but the gym is too far away too be practical. The opportunity at your job exists, but there are many obstacles, from politics to adversaries, to achieving success. The opportunity at college is great, but I don’t have time. The door of opportunity is wide open to run that 10k this year, but winter is not a good time to start the running program. People are all around to develop deep friendships with, but I am an introvert. The list could go on and on.

“Buts” stymie growth, kill opportunities.

As Paul traveled, he looked for open doors to guide his journey, never allowing “buts” to hinder his work. Paul replaced the “buts” in life with “ands.”

But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. 1 Corinthians 16:8-9

Paul recognized the open door of opportunity and also acknowledged that he had adversaries, obstacles. The obstacles did not hinder the work, the adversaries were simply a fact. Sure, there was an obstacle, but he saw the open door.

“Ands” allow us to take a step toward achievement, “buts” paralyze us, stop the journey.

Every open door of opportunity has a “but.” In fact, nothing worth achieving comes without obstacles. Label the obstacle, recognize it, and move forward to the open door of opportunity.

This new year, we have a tremendous opportunity to replace all of the inevitable “buts” in our life with “ands.” Label the obstacle, sure, but take a step through the open door of opportunity.

Check out the Bible in a Year Goal for 2024.

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