“At the same time, pray also that God may open a door to us for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.” Colossians 4:3 CSB
Paul wrote this verse in a letter during the two years he was chained to a guard in Rome. He had reports of the church in Colosse being infiltrated by false teachers, his purpose in writing it was to refute the claims they were making. Even in prison, Paul never lost sight of his mission to share Jesus to the world. Chained to a guard, he found a way to open the door for God’s word by writing letters. Thank God, none of us reading this are chained to a guard with no where to go. We do however, have to find ways to spread the love of God to others and open the door for conversations with people about God. One way we can do that is by physically holding the door open for someone. Have you noticed, when you do this small act, it always evokes a conversation? Typically you get at least a thank you, but you never know where that conversation might lead. Take Josh for example.
Josh is a highschool student who lost his dad. He had pictures of him in his locker at school. For whatever reason, a group of kids thought it would be funny to rip them down and bully Josh. As a result, Josh switched schools. But Josh decided he wasn’t going to let the same thing happen again. He wanted everyone to feel like they belonged, he didn’t want people feeling like he felt, so he decided to hold the door open for them. Day after day, he would hold the door for fellow students, welcoming them to school. The students began to look forward to seeing Josh each day, talking to him, hugging him as he held the door open. This small act of kindness made the students feel like they belonged, they felt like they had a friend. And they did, Josh was and is a friend to everyone. This one act of kindness led to him being voted prom king. As one student said, “Josh winning prom king felt like we had all won because he made us all feel accepted.” Josh’s kindness of holding the door has led to him becoming a motivational speaker for other students. Kids come to him with their problems and share with him, because in him they feel they have a true friend. Take 6 minutes out of your day and watch this inspirational video. Because Josh decided to make a difference, because he didn’t want anyone to feel left out, because he stood and held the door open for his classmates, over 6 million people have watched this video and been inspired.
No act of love is too small or goes unnoticed. Today, when you hold the door open for someone, think of Josh. Think of how you are making that person feel loved and accepted with your smile as you greet them as they walk by. Think of how you may be impacting their lives in a way you may never know. Think about how this one act of kindness could change the world, one door at a time.
