Culture

Close the Door: Why an Open Mind is a Dangerous Doorway

Scriptures: Psalms 119:130
by Jacob Abshire on October 29, 2013

It was a beautiful spring day outside, so I left the front door open to allow the breeze in. Suddenly, the door closed. My office is near the front door, so I quickly went to reopen, thinking a new gush of wind might have shut it. Walking away from our house was a teenage boy who lived across the street.

I yelled to him, “Did you need something?” “No, I just thought the door was left open and nobody was home,” he responded. Grateful for his thoughtfulness, I hollered back, “Thank you!”

Why do we have doors on our homes? Is it to keep the breeze out? Maybe. Is it to keep the air condition in? (They do that, too.) Maybe it is for our protection and sound mind. Maybe we desire to keep intruders out.

The writer of Psalm 119 had this idea in mind when the Lord inspired verse 130: “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.”

This is a text about Scripture, the Word of God. It is said to give light and impart understanding to the simple. Here in the Hebrew, the word “simple” means seducible. The word comes from the idea of having an open door.

In our society, we are told it is noble to have “an open mind” and be fully tolerant—even of nonsense and especially of things opposing God’s truth. It is the height of many to stand for nothing firm, but be open to all beliefs. However, Scripture imparts understanding to the “open-minded.” Why? In order that the simple might know when to shut the door.

The simple-minded person needs the truth of God because he is open to any and everything. He needs to know when to open and close the door. He needs to know when he should allow truth and when he should forbid lies.

Leaving the front door open allows anyone to enter.

Think of this next time you open your door. Do you close it to prevent intruders from entering and wrecking your home? How much more should you close the door to your mind to prevent intruders from wrecking your life?

Don’t be simple. Close the door.

A New Discipleship Resource

Creative Content for Christian Men

Instead of comments, I accept and encourage letters to the editor. If you want to write a letter to the editor, you can do so here.