Ever see the movie Monsters, Inc. with all those bedroom doors in the headquarters?
Doors of all colors and designs, all accessible by the right key in the hands of the right monster for the right kid. Then in dramatic fashion to send Boo back to her human world (or so it seems), Mr. Waternoose puts a door in place and Sully says, “That’s not Boo’s door!” So many doors…and the wrong door selected (purposely).
Reminds me of my entrepreneur life – there is a plethora of doors around me, and I want to choose for myself…surely I know what’s good for me, right? I look around and see others’ doors and wonder why I can’t have that door (read that more as whining vs. wondering). While I’m white-knuckling the door knob to get in, or banging on the wrong door, or scrolling social media to see all the beautiful, colorful doors I’m missing on, I’m actually missing God’s point: He has already designated the doors He has ready to open for me! If I would just be still, and let my Shepherd lead me. That is what learning to hustle with heart is all about: pursuing success His way.
Friends, not every door is meant for us. Not every door leads us home to His path. Someone else’s door is not your door, no matter how beautifully decorated to our taste it may look. If we’ve spent any time in this tight-grip, drive and strive mode under the stress of the world’s definition of hustle, we are constantly scrambling from door to door and trying not to get hit in the backside by the doors that close behind us. Instead, God is (patiently) waiting for us to ask Him to show us the right doors. In these seasons of endless searching, God continues to be faithful to work in us. He continues to pursue us. He continues to desire to show us His greatest plan. He is always there.
As we’re turning knobs and knocking on doors, we might not find ourselves in the perfect profession or doing work that we feel like is our calling – not walking through exactly the right doors. Still He meets us there, using the lessons we learn in this season, the skills that we acquire, the people that we meet, the growth that we experience. Because He uses everything to shape us and show us the way (Romans 8:28)
So as you find your self playing the “knock, knock” game, let me encourage you to take a minute between rounds and open up Psalm 23, remembering that “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” He WILL guide you – if you let Him.
