We’ve all heard it said, “When God closes a door, praise Him in the hallway” and “When God shuts a door, He’ll open a window.” Both of these statements are encouraging but, our response to closed doors are often less encouraging. Think back to high school for a moment; how well did you respond when your parents said, “No, you can’t …..?” Perhaps the harshest word we ever hear growing up is also one of the shortest: “No.” “No” is a small word that packs an enormous punch. It has the ability to both prevent and protect. However, we often appreciate the protection more than prevention because we ‘think’ we know what’s best for our lives especially when we were teenagers. Revelation 3:7 teaches us, “No one can open a door God shuts nor can one shut a door God opens.” I have learned that God never closes a door unless He opens another! ( Acts 5:17–25 ) It’s important to remember that God uses closed doors to teach us something. Closed doors refine us, shape us, mold us, and chisel away more of what doesn’t look like Christ in our lives. It sometimes appears like the doors to m my plans close quickly and loudly ((BANG))!! However, I’m learning that’s not necessarily true! It’s all about my perspective. If our perspective is right, if our trust is in the One who both opens and closes doors, and if we focus more on our relationship with Him and less on the door, we will see every closed door as an opportunity to learn something about ourselves and our God. At the end of the day, when we’re faced with our next closed door, we will realize that in this Christian walk, closed doors are just as important as open doors. God is more interested in our relationship with Him.Whether we’re walking through an open door or pausing to regroup at a closed one, doors drive us to seek God’s guidance and His will and God is more interested in strengthening our relationship with Him than He is about us getting the doors right.