A man named Walter once invited his friend Arthur to go for a ride in the country in Southern California. They drove through some groves of trees, past some falling down shacks, and arrived at what looked to Arthur like a barren wasteland. Walter began telling his friend about the exciting plans he had dreamed up for this uninviting parcel of land. The express purpose of the visit was for Walter to give Arthur the opportunity to become an investor in his dream.

Walter had enough money for his main project, but he wanted to ensure that the land surrounding his venture would be bought up at the same time. He felt sure that within five years the whole area would be filled with hotels, restaurants, and convention centers to serve the people who came to visit his development. Arthur was not impressed and passed on the opportunity. And so Art Linkletter turned down the opportunity to buy up all the land that now surrounds Disneyland, the dream of his friend Walt Disney.

While million-dollar opportunities come along rarely, there are “millions” of smaller open doors—opportunities that God has provided—which you and I can walk through on a daily basis. God is constantly inviting us to trust Him and experience ever-expanding dimensions of His faithfulness and blessing. But far too often we hang back hesitantly, not sure of what we should do.

Often Christians fail to walk through God’s open doors because of a faulty view of God Himself. If we had a childlike, trusting attitude toward our Heavenly Father, we would walk as confidently through doors He holds open for us as a small child does through doors opened by her earthly father. God is to be trusted, and the better we get to know Him the easier it will be to recognize those doors He is holding open for us.

In the letter to the church at Philadelphia in Revelation 3:7-13, Jesus Christ speaks of an open door put before them by God, referring to the church’s opportunity to be a gateway for the Gospel in Asia Minor—an opportunity the church should seize. Why? Because the God who was opening the door was holy, true, and powerful (verse 7). Holy refers to God as the Almighty. True refers to God as trustworthy. And powerful refers to God as able.

God is the opener and closer of all doors in life. When God opens a door and sets an opportunity before us, we should walk through it without fail. But I will be the first to admit that walking through some of God’s open doors can be a challenge to our faith.

From years of watching Christians miss opportunities God has set before them, I have made four observations about why we don’t walk through God’s open doors:

First, opportunities are often disguised as problems. It was the brilliant cartoon philosopher Pogo who once observed, “Gentlemen, we are surrounded by insurmountable opportunities.” What we perceive to be obstacles—no money, no methodology, no manpower—are often God’s opportunities in disguise.

Decades ago, our church was responsible for services being held in three different locations. We knew we needed larger facilities at our main location, and we eventually were able to build our current worship facility. But before that happened, we were stymied in our building program. Each time we began to discuss building plans, the three locations were at odds with one another over the allocation of resources and other matters. So we continued with that “problem” for several years.

Eventually, the problem became an opportunity. While we were stuck in our “no building” mode, the Lord showed us another way to reach more people—even more than if we had huge new facilities at all three locations. We began Turning Point Ministries, which now sends the Gospel out over radio, television, and in print. If we had not been stuck with the building “problem,” I don’t know if we would ever have gone into radio and television. I know now that the media ministry was an opportunity disguised as a building program problem.

Don’t miss an opportunity because it’s dressed up in the misleading mask of a problem.

Second, opportunities are often time-sensitive. When Walt Disney was planning Disneyland, he offered a friend the opportunity to buy up the scrub land surrounding the site which he knew would dramatically increase in value. The friend said he’d think about it. Because Disney needed an answer quickly, his friend lost the opportunity and tremendous wealth besides. If you fail to grasp an opportunity God puts before you, it doesn’t necessarily mean God is finished with you. But it probably means He will turn to someone else who will grasp the opportunity.

Do you remember what Jesus told the Jewish leaders when they failed to grasp who He was, their long-awaited Messiah? “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it” (Matthew 21:43). As a result of Israel’s reluctance to walk through the door of salvation before them, God turned to the Gentiles with the Gospel. But Israel will yet have an opportunity to embrace Jesus, but only after many centuries of regret for having missed their first opportunity (Zechariah 12:10).

Don’t let hesitation become procrastination and lead to devastation.

Third, opportunities are often tested by opposition. Some people have gotten halfway through an open door and turned around because they faced opposition. They thought, “We must not have heard God correctly. This opposition can’t be from God.” If Paul anticipated opposition when going through God’s open doors, we should, too (1 Corinthians 16:8-9). Opposition can be a sign that you heard God correctly since Satan will be doing all he can to discourage you and cause you to turn around.

Paul and Barnabas warned the churches in Asia Minor, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). Entering the Kingdom means not only our eternal salvation but also our experience of all the blessings God has in store for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9). If God wants you to prosper in any way, you can be sure Satan does not. He will not sit idly by and watched you be blessed by the generosity of God.

Don’t miss a blessing-filled Christian life by trying to avoid a problem-free Christian life.

Finally, opportunities are usually missed because of fear. I can’t think of an opportunity from God that I ever grasped without trembling hands. But I have often reached out and taken God’s steady hand and walked through His open door—and so can you.

All opportunities and open doors have one thing in common: They focus on the future. And when looking toward the future, we have two choices—to walk by faith or to walk in fear. God has not given us a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7), but He has promised to go with us wherever we go (Hebrews 13:5). God loves to get us to the place where our strength is little so we can see His might power. Christ told the church in Revelation that an open door was before them “for you have a little strength” (Revelation 3:8). The Lord told Paul that His power was made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Is there an opportunity in front of you at this very moment which makes you nervous, scared, weak, and faithless? Wonderful! You are right where you need to be to see God hold the door open for you while you walk through. I encourage you not to let fear deprive you of your future.

Wherever there is a fearful response on our part there is a faithful reassurance on God’s.

Friend, you don’t have to worry about how or when or where the next door in your life will be opened. The doors God opens for you only have doorknobs on one side—His! So you can be sure the true, holy, and powerful One will open the right door at the right time—the knob is in His hands.

It might be in your job, where you live, your education, a partner in marriage, or an opportunity for ministry. Don’t limit God! Develop eyes of faith which are constantly looking for the doors He is opening. Take the four points above and evaluate any current opportunities by them and see if God is trying to get your attention. If you conclude He is, then dial up your faith and grasp the opportunity. Once you cross the threshold, you’ll discover God’s hand reaching out for yours on the other side.