Did God Shut The Door…Or Did You?

“There are a lot of quotes about closed doors, like, ‘When God closes a door He will open a window.’ I think the real truth is that when God closes a door, we often try to break in anyway.” (SK Brown)

I had heard the first quote about God opening a window over the years, but I hadn’t ever heard the perspective that at times we try to break in anyway? And yet that’s what my business partner, Todd, and I both felt we had been doing when this realization hit us last week.

We are involved in a very small manufacturer’s rep business in the outdoor industry, and we were at odds with our manufacturer. We had gone through multiple rounds of potential solutions with him, and nothing seemed to be working. Then he finally responded in a way that was the proverbial “last straw” that completely smashed the direction we had been working towards.  

Todd and I reflected on the actions we had taken and have a new path going forward, and that’s when the second quote about breaking in anyway hit us. You see, this isn’t the first time we’ve encountered the break in syndrome! Oh no, immediately two land investment deals came to mind, where we literally had two signed agreements to buy parcels of land, and then sellers changed their terms to where it was no longer feasible to purchase those properties. Each of them was significant to our direction and caused us to change course.

And today we both see very clearly that God protected us from making those investments. He had a better path for us to follow. Thankfully we followed it, or perhaps we just continued to stumble along the path of least resistance, but both those examples sprang to our minds as we discussed what to do next with last week’s events.  

God shut the door. Will we accept that, or do we just keep banging our head against that door?

Difficult Journey, or Closed Door?

Ok Dave, you might be thinking…”What does this have to do with me being unfulfilled or unemployed? I’m seeking God’s direction, and I want to be where He wants to place me. Whether it’s an open window or closed door, I’m willing to follow.”

That may be the case. Yet in over 30 years in the marketplace and transitions, I’ve seen again and again (and experienced this myself more times than I’d like to admit) situations where the door has been closed, but people keep trying to break in anyway. And, like me, sometimes that’s with my fists and sometimes with my head! (And that really hurts, by the way!)

My point is, discerning between what could be seen as “perseverance through a difficult journey” versus “God has shut this door” is easier to say than experience. And that’s where another person’s perspective could be useful to help you see through what might be blind spots or challenging twists and turns along the way.   

Thankfully, Crossroads Career is here to help! Whether it’s through a blog like this, our podcast testimonials, or a personal conversation with one of our Crossroads Guides, we’re desiring to support you in a way that triggers practical insights with a Biblical worldview that will encourage and inspire you!

Over the weekend I listened to a couple of our recent podcasts. Both of them spoke directly into this topic, with one of them even using “When God closes a door He will open a window.” With no spoiler alerts, here’s a brief summary and links:

• Facing an Uncertain Future with Unshakeable Faith (Roger Taylor) – Roger went through an extraordinary transition, the likes of which I’ve never heard before, and in the midst of it was able to lean into his faith and gain incredible peace. One door was clearly closed, but Roger didn’t just look for a window, nor did he bang against the door. He persevered and flourished…in more ways than one! Listen HERE
• From Serving the Nation to Shaping Young Minds (Dr. Kim Moore) – Kim served in our military and then in our educational system, all in a variety of roles. She experienced doors and windows shutting and opening throughout her career. Each time, she was grounded in her faith, she leaned in and listened to counsel, and she felt fulfilled in each season of her journey.  Listen HERE 

Take Inventory of Your Situation

1. Are you unfulfilled where you are? What is causing you to feel that way, tangibly and specifically? What are the ramifications of how you’re feeling? What options (doors and windows) might be there for you? What are the best and worst case scenarios? 
2. Have you been let go from your job? Whether you are unhappy about that, or perhaps even a little relieved, that door has now been closed. Perhaps you caused it to be closed, or perhaps you were just caught up in the organizational gears grinding through a RIF. Whatever the cause, the door is closed. So spend your time looking forward and not backward. Well, perhaps backward just a bit to ensure you capture your learnings from the experience, but then keep steadily moving forward. 
3. Have you walked away from your job? Then don’t look back or second-guess your decision. As mentioned above, move forward. Tap into the motivation that prompted you to leave, and let that fuel your energies to find out what God has next for you. Even if your decision process was fully thought through, logical, and honoring, it’s still easy to fall into the trap of looking back, dwelling on what you would have or should have done. That door is closed (most of the time), so keep moving forward.

I’m reminded of the old hymn “Trust and Obey” lyrics:

“When we walk with the Lord in the light of His word

What a glory He shed on our way!

While we do His good will, He abides with us still

And with all who will trust and obey

Chorus – Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey

And two Scriptures come to mind:

• Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
• Isaiah 55:8-9  “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Both of these Scriptures point to God’s sovereignty over all things, and particularly where you and I might be right now. And while there’s quite a bit of mystery in how all this works in our lives (because, after all, we are not God), God does tell us quite a bit in His word as to what His will is for all of us.  

So back to our blog title, whether God shut the door, or perhaps you shut it…what can you learn from the process? What doors or windows might be open? Don’t just keep banging on the closed door like I’ve done.  

Get some objective counsel from others who have been through this before, our Crossroads Guides are ready to help you prepare for where God might be calling you. Click here to schedule a free consultation with one of our Guides! Blessings!

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Dave Sparkman currently serves as the volunteer Crossroads Career board chair and local ministry leader. He is also the founder and managing director of Spark Your Culture, a corporate culture consulting firm. Prior to that he worked at UnitedHealth Group, a Fortune #5 public company, serving in the role of Chief Culture Officer. His unemployment experience came from the implosion of Arthur Andersen, where he served as the West Region Managing Partner, People.