In Colossians 4:3 Paul writes: “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.”

Paul was in prison. Instead of being overwhelmed by his dire situation, he used it for good. He taught, sent letters, and encouraged people facing all sorts of trials and problems.

He also requested prayers. In the verse cited above, he asked for a specific prayer—that God would open a door for their message. It makes me think of that line by Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music. “When one door closes, another window opens.” The door to Paul’s freedom had been closed, but a window had opened for his vast letter writing ministry. 

Yes, he also wanted a physical door to be opened so he could teach and serve people outside of the prison walls, but he didn’t let his difficult situation pull the plug on his work.

This is a helpful frame of mind for all of us. Doors close. We hope and wish for A to happen. But then when A doesn’t happen, we mope, stomp our feet, and quickly conclude that God must not care.

But consider Paul’s situation. I’m not saying that his time in prison was good in and of itself. But what I am saying is that it made him frequently put pen to paper. As a result, billions of people have read his wisdom for two thousand years in a best-selling book called the Bible! Turns out his time in prison was just as fruitful as his time out of prison.

If you have lived more than five minutes you know what it’s like to experience closed doors, detours and disappointments. But your Plan A isn’t necessarily the only way forward. 

What opportunities is God placing before you to advance his purposes of grace and truth in the world, even if you’re sweating it out in less-than-ideal circumstances?

Closed doors, detours and disappointments aren’t necessarily dead ends. Keep looking and keep going.

“And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ…”

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Notes and extra content:

—LATEST PODCAST: There’s a new (organized) movement to get people to re-think their faith without regarding Scripture as a standard. There are coaches and websites. But what’s it all about and why is it destructive? That’s what I discuss with Tim Barnett, author of a new book (along with Alisa Childers). Click here, or listen to The Pulse Podcast with Matthew Ruttan via your favourite podcasting platform (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.)

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–Bible quotes are from the NIV.