Which way does this door go?

Prophetic Word

I recently heard some of the prophetic streams I listen to talk about an open-door season. That it was to be a time for many to walk right in. It was not that I had trouble with the word, it just sounded incomplete to me. So I asked God what exactly I needed to know about it and here is what I have learned.

The door was a door that turned inward and not so much outward. Its a season of learning who you are and not learning who everyone else is. A season of introspection where the questions of the past are now requiring intellectual honesty. The season we are coming out of certainly had its exposure of who people are but not so much truth for the person sharing the story.

I came to realize that I was diminishing my wife’s acts of service because I viewed them as routine tasks she should naturally handle. Harsh as it may seem, that was my underlying perspective on life. Some refer to these as “table stakes,” duties we ought to fulfill as part of our responsibilities. But who determines these expectations, and more importantly, how did they get to live rent free in my head?

How big is this door? It can be as simple as recognizing her effort behind going grocery shopping, cooking dinner, or taking care of the kids. In business, this can be referred to as MVP (minimum viable product), the basics a customer needs for the product to provide value. Not the best way to think of family, but hey it’s about intellectual honesty right?

The major realization dawned upon me when I recognized that I failed to appreciate the unique contributions my wife and family brought to our relationship; hence, my approach to giving felt more obligatory than heartfelt. Instead of wholeheartedly investing myself in our celebrations, I treated them as mere duties, neglecting to truly engage in the relationship. Compounding the issue, my wife, being highly attuned to the emotional atmosphere (feeler), sensed my lack of sincerity. By failing to grasp the significance of honesty, both with myself and with her, I unwittingly deprived our relationship of its true depth. Going a little deeper, I had to confront past shortcomings and forgive myself for not being entirely honest in my self-assessment.

I’ve gained a new perspective on how my beliefs shaped my responses. It’s now a conscious effort to approach situations and celebrations differently. I won’t sugarcoat it; it requires considerable effort because the only one who can prompt change is oneself.

I’ve often emphasized that the only barrier between God and me is me. This revelation feels like it will unlock doors beyond what I could have envisioned.