Doors Everywhere

Well, as the title of this post may imply I've seen doors everywhere lately or more correctly, I've been stopped by doors everywhere lately.
First, I was trying to get into my house on Wednesday night, and the key was being stubborn, so I couldn't get into the door for like 5 minutes. (I was honestly starting to get a complex that my parents had changed the locks on me! But finally the key worked!)
Then the door at work didn't want to work, even though I had my card key! Paranoia set in that they had fired me or something!
Then, the real kicker came yesterday. I was driving through downtown Greensboro when I came to a red light. There in front of me was a stack of about five doors. When the light turned green there was no way to go. I had to sit there and wait as this lady who had been hauling doors in her pickup truck picked up the doors.
I admit, I was frustrated by these occurrences. Why? I can only say impatience. I mean there wasn't anything lifechanging happening in my house that I had to get inside for quickly. The work on my desk would still be there even if I had to wait all day to get inside. And the restraunt I was going to at lunch yesterday was still there even though I had to wait through the red light twice.
What I'm trying to say is that we rush through life. We don't take the time to think about others. As I was sitting through that second light yesterday, God hit my heart, and I was convicted. See, I didn't like sitting through that light, but how embarrassing must it have been for that woman to hold up traffic in downtown because something fell out of her truck. My look of frustration sure didn't help her any. So I turned up the radio and sang along and decided to smile.
See, I couldn't change the circumstances. Not at all, but I could change my attitude about the situation. As Christians we are to show the attitude of contentment. Some things are going to be hard (a whole lot harder than sitting through a red light twice), but we still have God with us regardless of the struggle we are facing.

Check out this verse, Philippians 4:11, "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."

This is a verse in Paul's letter to the believers at Philippi. Paul said that he had learned to be content in whatever state he was in. Sounds easy enough, huh?

Well, here's a few things Paul went through from II Corinthians 11:24-28, "24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches."

So Paul was beaten with rods, stoned almost to death, was in three shipwrecks, faced hunger and danger, and on top of all that he had to take care of all the churches of believers.
And this guy said he was content in every state. Now, I don't know about you, but I've never been beaten for my beliefs. I've never been on a sinking ship while in the service of the Lord.
What I'm saying is this, I need to learn a little more contentment. I need to realize that sometimes God is going to put a locked door in my way. Sometimes He's gonna make me wait a while to get into that door, and sometimes He's gonna send me a different way entirely. But if I have God with me, I can be content.
How about you? Are you content today, or are you trying to ram down the door that God has locked?