Watch Those "Opened Doors"

2 Corinthians 2:12-14: "Now I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia. But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him."

In this passage, Paul was on one of his missionary journeys, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to those with whom he came in contact. When he came upon Troas (modern day Turkey), Paul believed that a door had been opened for him to share the gospel; however, his spirit did not find peace with the opportunity. Instead of acting upon the philosophy that all opened doors are God's way of beckoning us to proceed, Paul relied more upon his spirit, which was in tune with the Holy Spirit. As a result, Paul left the opened door of Troas for Macedonia.

Sometimes, opened doors are not the direction that God wants us to go. So how are we to know in which direction we should go? Well, the same Holy Spirit that is in tune with our spirits, letting us know that we are in fact God's children (Romans 8:16) also is the Spirit that will impart to us the guidance we need to do what He wills for us (John 16:13). The key for us is to be receptive to His leading by being intimately connected with Him through His Word and continual Prayer. This level of intimacy will help us avoid the pitfalls that certain opened doors might bring our way. Specifically, the Holy Spirit will impress upon our spirits that there is no peace associated with such a path, and we will be redirected toward the right course even though we are diverting our path away from the door.

Notice in verse 14 that Paul knew that God was still leading him on a path that ultimately brought glory to the Lord and furthered the sharing of the gospel message to the world. Paul's purpose in life was being fulfilled by avoiding certain doors that seemed to be opened.

We should evaluate each door that seems to open to see if God in fact wants us to enter. If our spirits, which should be in tune with the Holy Spirit, have no peace about the decision, then we should take a step back and re-examine if God would have us move in another direction. Opened doors do not necessarily mean that God's will for us is found therein.