"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20 (KJV)
When my father retired, my parents moved to a little house in east Texas. The house that they owned in Austin had not sold yet so they rented it out to a family friend. It just so happened this friend moved out right when I was in need of somewhere else to live so my parents allowed me to move in. To make the mortgage payment and the utility bills, it was necessary for me to have a roommate. The first one I had was a young lady who had a rocky relationship with her boyfriend. One night, I awoke to someone pounding on my front door. Apparently, the two of them had had an argument and he was very angry and at the door threatening to get in one way or the other. Of course I called the police and they escorted him from the premises, but that night I was most grateful for a strong door that held up to the force he was exerting upon it.
A few years later I met and married my beloved and we welcomed our beautiful daughter. We were still living in my parent's Austin house and at the time had two dogs. We had added a screen door to the doorway that led to the back yard and the dogs had pushed through the bottom of it. It actually was quite handy for me because if the main door was open, they could still get in and out without my assistance. One of them was still young and would bring me little "gifts" like a dead frog or something equally as disgusting. That is now a funny story about a door for us.
We use physical doors in many ways. They lock us in to keep us secure. They open to welcome in visitors. They stand as barriers between the warmth of our homes and inclement weather. They serve many very useful purposes. However, they can also be used to hide malicious behavior. They can send a message to "keep out" or lock in victims who wish to escape. They can be slammed in anger and cause divisions in relationships.
When my parents were still alive and beginning to need extra care, they lived with my family and me for a few months until they found a nice place for themselves nearby. When I set up their room, one of the pictures I hung had the above verse on it with a picture of Jesus standing outside a door and knocking. That piece of artwork always caught my eye. I would find myself wondering who was on the other side of the door and if they would open it. If they did, would they welcome Him in or would they just peek out to see who it was and ask Him to go away? Maybe they would glance out the window and choose not to open it at all.
Here's the thing about doors - they don't open themselves. And this I have learned, Jesus will never force His way in. If we don't want to allow Him into our lives, we don't have to. He won't coerce us into loving Him. We were created with free will and can choose to keep him out if we want to do so. And although I cannot understand why anyone would wish to push Him away, I know that many do.
May I encourage you to check your spiritual doors? I can assure you that His love, grace and mercy are greater than anything that can be imagined with our finite minds. If you have not invited Him in, please do so. And when you do, give Him full access rather than keeping Him standing just inside the door. Allow Him to stay. Allow Him to transform you into who you were meant to be all along. You will be so glad you answered His knock. God bless.
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