My Problem with the "Open Doors" Idea

I have a new respect for steadfastness.

These days it seems like I and everyone I know is trying desperately to interpret what God's plan for their life is.  We are all trying to allow Him to lead us in making big decision regarding what we will do for careers, where we will go and where we will live.

In the pursuit of this guidance, I have noticed that many of us seem to be following the "open door" policy to spiritual guidance.  The idea is that God simply opens those doors before us that He desires for us to go through.  "If I am meant to do this, God will open the door..."  And in contrast, if God wishes to steer us in another direction, he will place "roadblocks" in our path.  Through the use of these difficulties, He then discourages us from a path that was not the one He predestined for us.

While this methodology may have some fundamental truth, I believe that it, like most fundamental truths has been so overused that our modern day application is almost 180 degrees off.  Yes, logically speaking, if we are absolutely unable to accomplish a task then it can be said that it was not God's intention for us to do so.  And, if we are in submission to His will, then it is safe to argue that our efforts are backed by Him and our successes and failures could serve as an indication of his desire for us to do so at the task at hand.

However, the over-application of the "open door" policy leads us to lose a fundamental spiritual strength - perseverance.  If we are continuously seeking to decipher God's will through the circumstances around us then we run the risk of utilizing superstition to fill the role intended for the Holy Spirit.  We see every hardship as a "sign" that God might not want us to be heading in this direction.  We lend our energy only to those causes that seem to already be "blessed" for fear that others may not be what He intended.  We mistake speed bumps for stop signs.  And the energy we waste could be spent moving us forward.

What we forget is that God has the ability to communicate directly to us.  Yes, He can and has used circumstances to communicate His will, particularly to those whose faith was weak - it's all over the Old Testament.  However, today, with the amazing gift of the Holy Spirit - He can instill in us a passion for something that DEFIES circumstances.  And with that passion he can strengthen our faith by leading us through times where all external evidence would indicate that we are NOT going in the "right" direction.  Through that passion we can remain steadfast, pressing on towards a goal that He set before us, with no other evidence that the desire He placed in our hearts.  In doing so we show true, focused devotion.  

When we seek our guidance in our ever changing circumstances, we seem to float on the wind, being pushed in every direction.  But when we fix our course in a direction that comes from inside of us and refuse to look away, we truly progress toward our intended destination.