Holding a door open for others was something I was taught from an early age. I don’t believe it was even an actual lesson, only a behavior, modeled by the adults in my life. At some point, there was an expectation that I behave in a similar fashion. You see someone coming behind you, you stop and hold the door open for them.  It’s not even something that requires thought or planning. It doesn’t take a ton of time or energy. Instead, it’s something that takes little effort, a simple act of kindness and generosity. 

I wish there was a way for you to glimpse into my mind, so you’d have a better understanding of how God guides my thinking process, intertwining scriptures with real life experiences. I fear my words don’t paint a clear and complete picture of the “ah-ha” moments in my brain. But, as always, these are God’s words not mine, so I will try and explain. 

Mark 12:29-31 says: “Jesus answered, “The most important (commandment) is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’  The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 

Simple, right-Love God, love people.

Keeping that in mind, let’s flip back a few chapters to the old testament book of Malachi. This short book is a message from God to His chosen people (Israel) and it too is actually pretty simple. God’s chosen people are disrespecting Him by not showing him the honor he deserves. They were sacrificing blind and crippled animals, instead of their best. They had lost their “awe” of God and were failing to keep up with the contributions to God that were outlined in the covenant. Bottom line, they were holding back and not giving God their best. And God always deserves the best. His best is always what He has given us.

Again, the message is pretty simple- Give God your best.

Stick with me here, I’m getting back to this idea of holding the door open, I promise. As I read and thought about these two seemingly different and unconnected scriptures, several questions came to mind:

• Do I really love God and people? Do my words, actions and choices show this love?
• Am I giving God my best? For example am I willing to give Jesus my best resources (money, time, effort, etc)? Just like I give my best to or for something (possessions, relationships or respect) I really want for myself?
• What if anything, am I willing to give up in order to really love people? Am I willing to hold the door open for them?

There are many days when I fear my life and the way I live shows little evidence of loving God and people. Because the truth is I am often more consumed with my agenda, needs and desires to give God my best of anything. Ironically, the best I have to give is Jesus Himself. A gift He freely gave and gives. All He asks is that we do the same, give our best to Him. It all begins with loving God with our whole heart. When we love God only for who He is, everything else falls into place. We find ourselves wanting what He wants. Loving people and giving our best becomes something we also desire. Holding the door open for someone is a simple way to show love. In fact, holding the door to eternity with Jesus open for another is the greatest thing any of us can ever do!  It doesn’t need to be a grand gesture! But can be as simple as inviting a friend to church, asking them if they have questions about God or maybe walking over and greeting that unfamiliar face. The Holy Spirit does the heavy lifting, our job is to simply be available-Love God, Love People and Give God our best.

Do you ever regret your choice to hold the door for someone? I do! You know those times when the person behind you seems closer than they actually are, but you’ve made eye contact so you feel obligated to slow up and get the door for them. But then they start moving at a snail’s pace or drop something and stop to pick it up. You’re caught in this awkward moment where you have to choose-do I continue to stand here longer than seems natural holding the open door or do I make a break for it and leave them to fend for themselves.

The same is true for spiritual doors. Whether it’s that initial door to salvation or those doors of growth that come later. Some of us move through doors a whole lot quicker than others. We are ready, with our keys in hand. We know where we are going and what we are after. While others of us aren’t even sure they have keys, why they even came or which door to enter through. I readily admit, most of the time I am a keys in hand and ready type of person. Patience is NOT something I excel in! I can quickly get frustrated and irritated when I feel as though the person I am waiting for is taking WAY too long. Standing and waiting is hard, at times it feels unnatural. Regardless of whether you’re at the grocery store waiting for that frazzled mom to make it through the door or you are waiting for that friend to walk through the door of salvation. Perhaps the worst is when you believe you are ready to dive deep, yet that person we are holding the door for is dragging their feet.

We need the constant reminders- love God, love people, give God your best. Sometimes that means waiting, longer than we want.

School started this past week at the preschool where I work. Little bodies come with short little legs that don’t move very fast, especially when there is so much new to look at. Holding the door, waiting for them to catch up and actually make it through the door is at times very difficult. It requires patience and eyes focused down the road to the end of the school year. When they all stay in line, confident in where they are going, maybe not moving super quick because they are still little, but definitely quicker.

This same principle applies when it comes to holding spiritual doors open for others. Are we willing to wait for a loved one to catch up, when we have been ready to move through the next door for quite some time? What about waiting for a complete stranger that God has clearly placed in your path? How often do we block the entrance unintentionally by not welcoming or inviting? Am I willing to give up what I want, what I think I need, when I want/need it in order to walk with someone through the door to eternity? Am I willing to step aside, leaving my comfort zone and step into that which seems unnatural and invite or walk with them to the correct door? Loving God and loving others also requires a longer vision. We have to look past the here and now, instead choosing to focus on eternity.

The truth is my unwillingness to wait, lead or even encourage that person looking for her keys that she is not even sure she has is not loving God, people or giving God my best. Being obedient to wait is oh so hard and we (at least I) can trick myself into believing that God is calling me deeper, so I have no choice but to leave the slower people behind (yep, that is pride which is also a sin I struggle with). Being unwilling to wait assumes that God can’t grow me and lead me deeper right there in the doorway while I wait for my friend. We don’t like waiting because it feels unnatural and uncomfortable, but we are discounting God’s authority and power. Heck, by rushing through doors that I think I’m ready to enter is probably more often than not, me trying to force God’s timing-which is almost always different than mine. God has been so patient with me! How can I not extend that same grace to others? Just like with preschoolers, I need constant reminders to focus on the longer goal- eternity with Jesus.  

The truth is this life with Jesus is a journey, filled with constant learning and relearning of some pretty basic and simple lessons – 

Love God

Love Others

Give God your best

This may mean waiting longer than we want. 

It probably means slowing down, even stopping at times, potentially even going back to help those slower than us. 

This may mean we have to help our friend find their keys and lead them to the right door.

It means embracing that unnatural feeling and trusting God’s timing and His ability to work and grow us while we wait.

But it also means we get to watch and maybe even participate in someone meeting Jesus for the first time or finding their way back to Him. It means we get to walk deeper with that loved one by our side. And honestly I can’t imagine anything sweeter!