The Difference Between an Open Door and a God Door
At least three days every week, I wake up to emails in my Gmail (not even my professional email inbox) and DMs in my Instagram promising me fame, fortune, trophies, awards, and the path to becoming a bestselling author.
In just the past month, I’ve received messages promising:
To catapult my website to the top of Google searches.
To feature me and my book in Times Square.
To add my book to the Top 100 Reads on Goodreads.
To highlight my book in a national book club.
To grow my email list by 5,000 subscribers.
To make me a brand ambassador for a fitness company.
To offer me affiliate status with a clothing brand.
To feature my writing on a high-profile blog.
And, guess what?
Each and every one of these “opportunities” has been offered to me at the low, low cost of somewhere between $997 and $19,997.
Every morning while I’m drinking my coffee, I delete these messages instead of correcting the grammar, pointing out where their workflows inserted the wrong information, or sending them an inordinate amount of money to make me a star.
Why?
Because I have learned that there is no easy button for success, nor is there one for stewarding the calling to be an author.
I want to be completely clear here: we absolutely have to invest time and, sometimes, money into stewarding our callings and building our ministries as authors.
But—and this is a big one—there is a difference between investing in our ministries and chasing every opportunity that finds its way into our inbox.
My mind goes back to the people of Judah and Isaiah’s attempts to point them in the right direction.
Isaiah was writing during a time when his people were desperately searching for security—typically everywhere except where they should have been looking. Instead of trusting God, they were trying to build political alliances to protect themselves.
Even after God had already told them it wasn’t the right path.
Then Isaiah offers this promise:
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”
— Isaiah 30:21
The beauty of this promise is that God isn’t telling His people to hustle harder. He isn’t handing them twenty opportunities and asking them to pick the right one. He’s inviting them to slow down long enough to recognize His voice instead of making a mad dash through every open door.
It’s the picture of a Shepherd walking alongside His people, offering quiet direction as they move.
As authors, it’s easy to believe that every opportunity landing in our inbox is an assignment from God. Our inboxes are full of invitations, paid summits, memberships, trainings, expensive marketing programs, collaboration opportunities, speaking engagements, and empty promises that this one thing will finally build our platform.
But an open door and a God door are not always the same thing.
In fact, sometimes the enemy of our calling isn’t a closed door at all. Sometimes it’s a hundred good-looking doors that slowly pull us away from the work God actually gave us to do.
Listening for God’s voice doesn’t usually look like waiting for a lightning bolt. More often, it looks like faithfully stewarding the gifts He’s already given us while trusting Him to open the right doors at the right time.
Being an author is hard work. It’s intentional work. It requires consistency, discipline, and wise investment.
Before we run headfirst through the next open door, here are a few things to consider as we listen for God’s guiding voice.
1. Invest in Craft Before Exposure.
I could never be a doctor, scientist, mathematician, pilot, or astronaut. Honestly, the list goes on and on. My skill set simply doesn’t lend itself to those professions, and I have never deluded myself into thinking they are careers I should pursue.
Interestingly, though, I’ve heard several folks in the writing and publishing world claim that anyone can write a book.
While I absolutely believe everyone has stories worth telling, not everyone has been called to the vocation of authorship. Writing well is a craft, and like any craft, it requires intentional practice and growth.
If we have been called to be authors, it is our responsibility to invest in our craft in the same way doctors, scientists, and pilots invest in theirs.
Thankfully, there are incredible resources available to us. We can join critique groups, participate in blogging communities, watch free trainings, and spend hours learning from generous writers who share their expertise online.
But we have to actually use those resources.
And when we hit a wall, that’s the time to invest in help.
One of the best investments you can make is hiring a writing coach who will genuinely help you improve your writing—not simply tell you how wonderful you are, cheer you on, or offer motivational pep talks. Those things have value, but they are not the same as craft development.
Find someone who will push you, ask hard questions, and help you understand both where you’re struggling and how to become better.
Before paying someone to help you find readers, make sure you’ve spent time becoming a better writer.
2. Invest in Assets You Actually Own.
As authors, we have so many things to build that actually belong to us—websites, email lists, Substacks, LinkedIn profiles, Facebook pages, Instagram accounts, podcasts, YouTube channels, blogs, and newsletters.
Our readers are there because they’ve chosen to be there. They’ve chosen to follow us, subscribe to us, and invite us into their lives.
We owe it to them to serve them well.
And here’s something worth understanding before we spend a single dollar on promotion:
If a program is promising us followers or subscribers, it is not promising us readers or relationships.
Yes, our numbers might go up.
Our sales probably won’t.
The people who sign up through many of these promotions aren’t our readers. They’re often people who saw an opportunity to win something or receive a freebie. Many of them will eventually unfollow us or unsubscribe.
Sometimes serving our readers well requires spending money—on website hosting, email platforms, professional branding, or the occasional boosted post.
Spend money building things that belong to you before you spend money chasing someone else’s promise.
3. Invest More Time Than Money.
There is no substitute for consistently writing, publishing content, engaging with readers, and simply showing up.
Most successful authors didn’t buy their platforms. They built them one relationship at a time. Over time. Usually over years.
Invest your time—and sometimes your money—in serving your readers well and building relationships with them over time.
There is no quick fix or easy button for this.
4. Ask One Simple Question Before You Say Yes.
Will this opportunity actually help me become the kind of author God is calling me to be?
Sit with that question for at least twenty-four hours before investing time or money into any opportunity that lands in your inbox.
Will it legitimately help you become a better writer?
Will it help you steward your calling well?
I understand the appeal of paying for a program that promises to boost a website, increase followers, grow an email list, get booked on podcasts, or feature a book in front of thousands of people.
I really do.
But if we are faithfully stewarding the call God has placed on us, putting in the work, investing in the assets we own, showing up consistently, building relationships, and improving our writing, our work should—and eventually will—speak for itself.
Most of us have already learned the hard lesson of pay-to-play opportunities.
Let’s not fall prey to them again.
Instead, let’s invest in our craft, steward our calling, and listen for God’s voice as we walk this writing journey.
The people of Judah thought safety would come from finding the right alliance. God reminded them that safety would come from staying close enough to hear His voice.
Maybe the same is true for us as authors.
Maybe success isn’t found in chasing every opportunity that lands in our inbox. Maybe it’s found in faithfully writing the next page, serving the readers already in front of us, and trusting that when the right door opens, we’ll recognize the voice behind it saying,
“This is the way; walk in it.”
This week, before you click Reply, Register, or Purchase, take twenty-four hours to pray, reflect, and listen.
The right opportunity won’t disappear because you paused long enough to hear the Shepherd’s voice.
Reflection Questions
When was the last time you said “yes” to an opportunity because it genuinely aligned with your calling—and when was the last time you said yes because you were afraid of missing out?
If you stopped chasing new opportunities for the next 90 days, what part of your craft, platform, or relationship with your readers could you intentionally strengthen instead?
Looking back over your writing journey, can you identify a moment when God quietly redirected you away from something that looked like a good opportunity? What happened because you listened—or because you didn’t?
I write in two spaces. A Seat at the Table is where I explore faith, healing, and making room for honesty after it’s been made complicated. Ink & Intention is for writers who want to show up with clarity, discernment, and integrity—especially online.
I’m also the author of Breathing Again and several guided journals, and I work with writers who want thoughtful, grounded support as they find their voice and shape what comes next.
If you’re a writer looking for thoughtful encouragement, practical strategy, and honest conversations about the writing life, you’re also welcome to join us inside The Visible Author Facebook Community.
If something here resonated, you’re welcome to explore more at your own pace. You can find everything in one place at KristenNeighbarger.com.
