A noted author states: ‘People who study entrepreneurs say they excel in something called “opportunity alertness.” They look at the same circumstances as everyone else, but they “notice, without search, opportunities that have hitherto been overlooked.” They are “alert, waiting, continually receptive to something that may turn up.”’ Paul was such a person. ‘I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord’ (v. 12 NKJV). He practised ‘divine opportunity alertness’. And you can too. For Paul, walking through the doors God opened often led to hardship. But they also led to great achievement. Open doors don’t come with a meticulous set of instructions about precisely what you should do and exactly what will occur as a result. To discover what’s on the other side of the open door, you have to go through it. Will you experience fear? Any time you attempt the untried, unknown, and undone, you will experience fear. That’s when you need to remind yourself that whatever awaits you on the other side of that door, God will be there. Here are two things you need to keep in mind. First, sometimes an open door doesn’t signify going to someplace new; it means recognising a new and previously undetected opportunity in an old place. Second, open doors never exist solely for the advantage of the people offered them. They are an opportunity to bless others (see Genesis 12:1-3). An open door never exists for your benefit alone. Has God opened a door for you? If He has, don’t hesitate or vacillate; walk through it.
