Is the Door Ajar?

I have ever been fascinated with the concept of a door barely ajar. When I was growing up, there was something tempting about a door that was just barely cracked open. It just seemed like to me it was waiting to be opened! What was on the other side? Well, I never knew until I walked through it.

In Colossians 4:3-4 Paul writes the following:

"At the same time, pray for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison – that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak."

Of course you probably remember that the epistle to the Colossians was one of the letters that Paul wrote while he was in a Roman prison. He is a man who desperately desired to spread God's word to those around him, and he wanted more opportunity. He expressed this by desiring an open door. He knew it was what he "ought to do".

Notice that at the beginning of that verse Paul asks the brothers in Colossae to do something for him: pray for him. It wasn't just an aimless prayer, either. It had a goal. Paul wanted them to pray for opportunity to share the gospel with others. Surely we need to add this petition to our prayers as well. A couple other things to note from Paul's writing:

1. Paul had a desire to work for the Lord no matter his situation. He had learned to be content with the situations that life presented to him (Philippians 4:11-12). Simply stated, it means that he could deal with the situations of life properly. Also, Paul knew that despite the situation presented to him, he had responsibilities. He knew that the strength to carry on and fulfill those responsibilities came from God (cf. Philippians 4:13, also 1 Corinthians 3:6). Now for us: If we sit around waiting for a situation to get better so that we can share the gospel with someone, we will never find it! We need to discuss these matters, ones of eternal importance, with people while it is called today (2 Corinthians 6:2)! We must not allow a situation that seems difficult to stand in our way. God will always be there (Hebrews 13:6).
   


2. He was willing to declare the message of the gospel at all costs. We can see the effect that preaching the truth had on Paul's life (begin reading in Acts 21:27, also 2 Corinthians 11:16ff). This didn't matter to Paul. Persecution and imprisonment became his way of life. Never do we read of Paul being deterred from preaching. Rather, Paul sums it up in 2 Corinthians 12:10 when he writes that for the sake of Christ he was content with "weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." What about us? Are we then willing to take the perceived hardships on ourselves? Will we lose some friends? Maybe. Will we scare some people? Possibly. Will people look at us like we are strange? Probably. But what really matters to you: This life, or the one to come (1 Timothy 4:8)?
   

Have you seen any doors ajar lately?

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Next time = "What is Our Spiritual Door Ajar Warning Light?"