ONE DOOR CLOSES ANOTHER CAN OPEN
East Week #20 ~ “WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES IN LIFE, ANOTHER DOOR WILL OPEN”
Helen Keller the famous American writer once said, “When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.”
This quote could not be more true in my life, and I’m sure many others. As I’ve had time to reflect upon my life these past days, I’m happy to see where I’ve been, yet I am more happy to see where I am going. In the past, I used to always focus on what didn’t happen in my life, what should have been, or what could have been, thus leaving me discouraged. A lot of us, like me before, put so much of our focus everyday on pass failures. It could be failures in our relationships, our decisions, our career choices, or mistakes we have made which are we are not able to fix. Even though we know that we can’t change the past, we still dwell on it, letting it plague us like a virus that never leaves our mind and emotions. But, if we always focus on the past doors that have closed, we will become blind to the open doors and opportunities that may come our way.
In the past, I used to get so down on myself about every thing that didn’t go my way. I would ask God why? I would throw fits and rages when life didn’t turn out the way I thought it should have. Or, I would become depressed and go into bouts of self-pity, self-rejection and self-hatred. Being an over achiever I would become extremely critical of myself if I felt like I was the cause of my failures. Yet, now that I am older and I can look back at a lot of my earlier mistakes as a young adolescent, I can see how every mistake, every disappointment and failure has led me to become a better man.
With time we become wiser. With time we learn to learn from our mistakes. With time we can see things in retrospect and appreciate every experience, good or bad, for what it is. With time, we can begin to appreciate ourselves. With time we realize there is no use holding on to old remorse’s and thoughts of “I wish I could have, or would have, done things this way or that way.” Instead, we can make the choice now to not repeat our past failures, recognize we are not the same person, and be open to change. We have to let go of what we can’t control and stop focusing on the past closed doors. If we do this, we can become aware of the present blessings in our lives that we may have been missing all along and walk through a new door of happiness.
Until we let go of the old thing we are holding onto, we cannot be hands free to receive the new thing God desires to bless us with. Move on! I felt like I had to say that loud and clear to whoever is reading this column… MOVE ON from the past and into the new. Don’t let your past mistakes, regrets or disappointments hold you back from experiencing the fullness of life and all the goodness it can bring! I’m excited about my future, I feel like I’m maturing as a man and I know that what is in store for me in the coming days can only be even better than what I have experienced before. Not because the past was bad, but because right now I am wiser, more ready and in touch with whom I really am to receive God’s very best! Unless, we choose to move forward from past closed doors, we won’t know what is on the other side of the new doors that await us. I’m nervous, a bit afraid, but full of faith and heart wide open to experience the new, so should you!
God bless,
Jaeson Ma ^^
To read in Chinese at East Week Magazine Hong Kong click here
21 Responses to “EAST WEEK #20 ~ WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES IN LIFE, ANOTHER DOOR WILL OPEN”
Questions? Comments! Ask Jaeson.
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Hey,
To make introductions short, I am a Korean college student at the University of Maryland. I am a fellow disciple of Christ and I just wanted to ask you some questions. I have no idea if you actually read your comments, but I’m more than willing to gamble. I am interested in what you have been doing all across Asia. I am deeply interested in East Asia, I am double-majoring in East Asian History and Chinese (Mandarin). My future is ultimately uncertain, but I was interested in what you have been doing. I, personally, am not too into Korean entertainment. Though I love Korean culture and practice speaking in Korean often, I am deterred by their superficial image of what worship truly is. I was very thankful to God for your post about allkpop.com. Some of my friends are very into kpop and sometimes I am discouraged by “Christians” dressing skimpily, singing about self-worth, etc. Don’t get me wrong please, I am not judging them whatsoever. I am just merely discouraged. I always wished for God to really touch those celebrities, because as you have correctly noted, they influence millions all throughout Asia. As your ministry is certainly catching eyes, I sincerely pray that your ministry is Biblically-centered never straying from the Gospel.
So here are my questions:
What does the gospel mean to you?
Do you practice preaching deeper theological truths at times?
How often do you make references to hell, God’s wrath, God’s aversion to sin?
Revival is great, but should revival be founded on emotion or in truth? (John 4:23-24)
Do you learn from other great spiritual leaders of our generation such as John Piper, John MacArthur, A.W. Tozer, R.C. Sproul? Or past men of God such as, Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, D.L Moody?
How important is it to you that the gospel is not watered down for seeker-friendly worship environment?
What is your image of our Holy God? How do you present him in your sermons and your personal encounters?
Is God just a friend? Or is he your Lord, King, and a God that we should approach in wonder, but also in fear and much trembling?
Well, I know that’s a handful, but I am thankful to God that he is using you in mighty ways. I desire for you to preach the gospel according to Jesus Christ. We can speak about love and how great it is. But, we are not just worshipping a God that is our “friend.” He is our LORD and so HOLY that we cannot even bear to come near. And as we all know, only through the saving blood of Christ, through his atonement that we stand justified before him. I pray that your portrayal of Christ and God is not some buddy-buddy friendship or even some intimate friendship like girlfriend/boyfriend. I sincerely hope that you are worshipping God for WHO he is. He is not only love, kind, peace-loving, forgiving, BUT he is ALSO wrathful, jealous, vengeful, just, and sovereign. I think our God is a beautiful God. As we all mature as believers, I pray that I too may have a correct picture of who God really is. Too often do we talk about the more “favorable-to-the-ear” sides of God that we completely ignore the God that required of the Son to die on the cross. I hope you agree completely that our God is not some small kid asking for favors, but a GREAT God who reclines at his throne (Isaish 6) and has absolutely NO need for our worship.
He is incomprehensible, self-existent, self-sufficient, eternal, infinite, immutable, omniscient, wise, omnipotent, transcendent, omnipresent, faithful, good, just, merciful, grace-giving, loving, holy, and sovereign — And I hope as much for your disciples, readers, listeners, myself included, treat and preach him as such. HOW empowering it is to know that our God is infinitely HOLY AND POWERFUL? But at the same time, it is almost fearfully terrifying.
Last but not least, I want to mention once again, thank you for your ministry and the boldness that can only come from the Spirit. I enjoyed your song, lyrics are great (can’t go wrong with direct Bible passages =D). I enjoyed your testimony. I especially appreciated your part of repentance. We need repentance! Sanctification! (Mark 1:15)
Let’s not shy away from the more “darker” theological truths, because they are as every bit as wonderful as the rest. And I pray to hear about your ministry more as time progresses. Thanks for reading what I had to say, as biting as my tone may be (was not intended in that manner). I hope that you were challenged if anything. I know that your schedule is probably busy, but I hope you can spend time to respond.
My email is danparkuss@gmail.com (with two s’s)
praise God. this exact thing has been weighing on my heart and mind and emotions all day! right now im listening to you speak about glory and it’s confirming God’s love for me even more. this is awesome, especially after a very frustrating and near unplesant encounter, day. i can’t wait until your next album comes out!
hmm do comments need to get approved to get posted here? I posted a long, serious exhortation and questions here earlier and I can’t see it.
thanks for the encouraging words. i’m also extremely critical of myself and this have stopped me from being more than what i can be.
yeah…
shout out loud to myself “MOVE ON!!!”
I need this… =)
i definitely need more of God’s help on this. recently i’ve been recovering from something which is hard to move on from because i see the results of it each and every day. but i know everything will turn out fine. great message. :)
Thanks for bring me back to the wise words of Helene Keller. I’m at a point where I’m trying my best to turn away from the close doors and looking onto the new door that the Lord has opened for me. I’ll continue to pray to Him to give me more faith and trust so that I’m able to make my way through that new opened door…
This is sure nice, to be reaffirmed about. God Bless and Grace Findings to you.
Thank you for writing and sharing this. It was really helpful. God bless.
wow. i feel like these words were almost God speaking straight to me because it’s exactly what i need to hear with what I’m going through right now in my life! thanks so much for sharing. It’s neat to see God use blogs to encourage one another :) Praise the Lord for giving us such hope!
what brought me to your blog is i met your roommate ray lin yesterday at church ( i intern at evergreen ) and it made me curious to check out your blog! i also know stephen brown from class at Fuller and he mentioned GBS to me! i want to come visit sometime in january to see what God is doing there!
Jaeson,
Thanks for the great massage, it came at the right time and this is just what I needed lately. MOVE-ON…
I would also like to give thanks for our heavenly father….he used “you” -to deliver me this message..clearly.
Love,
Carmen
Hey Bro,
Thank you for your heart felt support, prayers and questions. I would encourage you to buy my book “The Blueprint” on Amazon.com in the book you will understand a lot more of my ministry, perspective on missional practice and theology. Hope it helps and all the best! In Christ, JMA
Thank you for speaking truth about His grace and us moving forward. I am at a point where I do need to MOVE ON and stop carrying the fear that my past will do a double take and interfere with my present/future.
Praise GOD for mercy and grace to pursue Him wholeheartedly and letting go of the temporary. Thank you for your commitment to Jesus.
Jaeson I agree with you ^0^…past is always past…jaeson fighting make my father JESUS pround for you…Jesus love you^^
God u are simply awesome, thanks for such a small message.
i’m kinda in between to choose 2 direction, and i actually know the answer but i still standing there looking at the closing door, and this msg really touch my inner spirit and to move the next step and plan it well. thanks you
Wow…I wish I couldn’ve seen this earlier. I have been in an international Christian school here in Taiwan since second grade. All my family members are not Christians, except for some distant relatives in the US, whom I don’t really talk to. I first accepted Christ into my heart in third grade from fear of hell. Later I learned that fear wasn’t the key to salvation, so I re-considered about accepting salvation. However, I lost my passion. My teachers have been telling me to stop worship academics like idols, because I would even cry over grades(not Asian pressure, my parents want me to stop studying actually). I’m currently in an apologetics course at school, hoping that I can persuade myself to become a Christian. What holds me back from becoming a full-hearted Christian is sacrifice- sacrifice of my dreams, my family, my friends, my habits- everything. I want to prove to myself that God is real. I’ve once tried asking God to reveal Himself everyday, but I’d become suspicious of everything. Everything may be a sign from God, but what if it was just me thinking? What if Christianity was false, just like how other religions are false in Christianity’s eyes? It feels like everything I use to prove God true can prove other religions true as well. We have miracles, testimonies, historical facts, scientific facts, relationship, concepts on sin; they have, too. So…what now?
I’ve been pretty disappointed in my academic and spiritual life. Just thinking about how I’m planning to spend 1/3 of my life studying makes me upset. Thinking about how I’m totally lost (even my mom, who’s a Buddhist, dreamed of me standing in the middle of the road not knowing where to go) spiritually-wise. I tried keeping God out of my life and depend everything on myself. That became really stressful and I began to see myself as worthless, invaluable, without purpose, basically every negative word you can think of. I wanted to die. I didn’t want to live anymore. But I was afraid of after-life, so I didn’t do it.
Sorry I typed so long. I just wish someone can totally convict me of God’s presence and reality.
Thank God n thanks jaeson for sharing this. Its very interesting. It is true that sometimes life does’nt get on our way, but with the grace of God i believe we can grow more. Jesus loves you.
Thanks God, I really felt that HE is encouraging me through this message…let go and move on….
Thank you for this wonderful story..I am trully blessed with this article, keep on Movin’
v(^^,)v God bless u.
Jason: I appriciate your trials and I believe you are closer to the lord than you think. I suffer the same imbalance as you do. Sometimes, we just have to give credit to ourselves…when no body else can give it to you. I see on your picture that you are praying, keep up the prayers and you’ll surely find Christ! Bless you on your journey!
#17 :) Accept Jesus Christ as your saviour. He and God are one…