Doors: Entrances and Exits

Sometimes knowing when to enter or exit relationships, jobs, churches, or other varying situations/environments in our lives can be somewhat challenging. Doors present opportunities, to both enter and exit. However, sometimes people have a hard time entering or transitioning into a new season of their lives because they refuse to close doors to their current seasons. An important principle to commit to heart and mind, the way we exit one situation sets the tone of how we enter another.

For example, sometimes people exit marriages and relationships with bitterness, anger, resentment and unresolved issues. If they don't release those negative emotions, they will carry those into their next relationships. They will affirm that they are a healed and whole but as you get closer to them, shards of the remnants of their past will cut you.

NO ONE self heals when his soul and heart have been wounded. It takes being with someone else capable of healing on a consistent basis and going through the growing pains of healing and maturation to rid the pain of the past. If not, it will become a cancer of sorts and plague areas in a new relationship, new job, new church that should be healthy. It will kill even the most beautifully budding relationship and situation. We cannot carry unnecessary baggage and arrogant intolerance that we refuse to divorce ourselves . We have to both forgive and forget other's inabilities to be what we have needed in the various stages of our lives. To forget doesn't mean to erase the memory that it happened but the negative emotions attached to it.

Signs when it's time to exit:
1. Your growth is stunted, you can no longer receive anything of value that will grow or mature you as a person. Sometimes it may cause you to regress instead of progress.
2. You have layers of bitterness and resentment that cannot be purged within the context of that situation, relationship or environment.
3. Your passion and zeal has been extinguished.
4. It becomes a source of reoccurring pain, turmoil and confusion in your life. You dread being around that person or in that environment.
5. When whatever benefit you receive from that relationship or situation can be easily replaced.
6. You are no longer equipped to make or add a positive change.
7. It hinders you from fulfilling your call and purpose. It's a stumbling-block of sorts.

People, in general, have no problem entering through the various doors of their lives. Nonetheless, before entering the next doors consider the following:

1. Is this relationship or situation going to grow or mature you?
2. Will you heal and release your baggage?
3. What will you contribute?
4. Are your passionate about it?
5. Are you emotionally, mentally or spiritually involved?
6. Is this the right timing in your life?
7. Are you well-equipped for the responsibilities and accountability that comes along with this newness?
8. How does it align to your call or purpose in life?