Written by Paul J Bucknell on October, 08, 2025

Four Doors to Renewal

Each door guides us into a moment of meditation, helping us appreciate God’s active work in our lives more deeply.

The Awakening of our Souls

The biggest obstacle to revival is our lack of awareness that we need the Lord to wake us up. Our souls’ dullness makes us spiritually unresponsive. We may seem spiritually alive, but it hardly shows. Jesus’ many warnings to His followers highlight this warning (Matthew 13:35; 25:5, 26;40, 43, 45).

I will share from God’s Word and my recent experiences on how to keep our souls spiritually alert. Will this help awaken us? If we apply it, yes, but it’s much easier to stay attentive and desirous for spiritual things than to awaken someone from a spiritual coma.

Our Heart’s Preparation

There are four doorways, each leading into its own room to focus our attention on one key spiritual truth. Think of a fine arts museum where each room features a different theme, such as artwork from a specific region or by a well-known artist. In this case, we examine each area by paying close attention to what God’s Word teaches.

Can spiritual dullness still occur? Certainly, it threatens each of us, but spiritual sensitivities are revived through daily entering these doors, capturing our attention, and providing necessary correction to our perspectives.

The premise of this article is that the more God’s truth flows into our lives, the stronger and more spiritually alert we become. The less we intake God’s truth, the less it renews our minds, leading to weaker commitments and spiritual lethargy.

These four doors follow the unique paths of His truth, allowing it to flow into our minds and cause spiritual renewal. The problem, in many cases, isn’t that we don’t know the truth, but that we forget its importance, value, and presence. By regularly reminding ourselves of biblical truth, the streams of grace can freely flow, touching our quickly hardening hearts.

Identify the times when you have been spiritually inattentive or not deeply grateful for your salvation. While this may feel familiar, it is not normal! Spiritual lethargy leads us to despise and forget God’s truth. By shifting our focus back to God’s truth, the Holy Spirit graciously enriches our souls and minds, ultimately influencing our emotions.

Renewal comes as God’s truths pours into our souls.

I hope these four doors serve as a way for you to find renewal from the Lord. A daily revisit to one or more of these wonderful rooms filled with vibrant “truth art” will keep us spiritually alert during these last days. These explorations also help us make discoveries that renew our preaching, prayer, and teaching ministries.

Here are the names of the four doors.

Physical Life
Spiritual Life
Life’s Purpose
Christ’s Work

Like in real life, when a door appears locked or stuck, we can often try another, helping us see why the first door wouldn’t open. Don’t get discouraged; keep going!

First Door : Physical Life

Opening the first door, we begin to explore our physical lives. I admit that this is the most hidden truth in my life, even though it is the most obvious.

To help me gain perspective on my physical life, I imagine what my “life” would be without God’s breath of life. I would be physically dead. God’s life-giving breath sustains our physical bodies, even though physical death surrounds us. “Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Gen 2:7). God animates man, keeping him breathing and alive. The moment that breath leaves any of us, our bodies begin to decompose.

The Apostle Paul began here when sharing the Gospel with the Athenians: “For in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children’” (Acts 17:28). All people completely depend on God for their existence.

By entering this first door, I reflect on the gift of life and God’s sustaining power. Worship begins with recognizing that I owe everything to God. His special creation of my life, and the lives of all, making me either male or female, able to see, hear, eat, move, breathe, and so on, all lead to a greater appreciation of how He has made me a unique individual. The mind—the part of me that enables me to think, evaluate what others say, and make objective decisions—is part of this life, made in God’s image.

Accompanying our bodies’ incredible design is the startling truth of how much I depend on God. We can't start or sustain life but only adjust its systems—despite many advances in modern science. These thoughts remind me not to take even one day for granted and to cast off any self-pride or bold confidence in my brief life. I need God to breathe and keep me going.

Jesus says that the physical Sabbath is intentionally designed to rest our bodies so we can step away from busyness and reflect on life and our Creator’s presence (Mark 2:27).

This mindset offers a fresh perspective on God’s work that actively renews my life. My life becomes a testimony of His willingness to work within me (cf. John 3:21) as well as His purpose for my life, which we will discuss later. The Spirit uses these thoughts to prompt me to give thanks to Him, turning into heartfelt praise. This exploration of our physical lives then becomes one way we answer the long-standing question, “How do we praise God even when we don’t feel like it?”

Even when my body is weak, sick, or under stress, I can move further through this doorway, remembering that the life He provides is connected to my need for healing. Without that life flow, health, rejuvenation, and my life itself can quickly fade, facing death’s end. Here we see that the Lord is Your Healer, not drugs or exercise programs (though I am not criticizing their use).

I am amazed to reflect on these elementary truths because I was never taught to consider my life’s dependence on God. There is no way to escape the facts of life (note: in my mind, evolution and the denial of God’s creation are not at all viable notions). Secularism has removed this awareness from us, even from the church (Rom 1:20). However, the well-being of my body and life depends on the Lord. It is this realization that sheds light on my “boastful pride of life,” making it appear ugly, perverted, and arrogant.

¹⁶ “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. ¹⁷ The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:16-17).

This foundational mindset brings much-needed clarity to lead me out of the spiritual fog by identifying faulty conclusions and doubts that dull my soul. Truth-like light shines and dispels the shades of grey that often confuse us, guiding me toward the brightness of God’s truths as Creator (Eph. 5:8-13).

As the Spirit renews my mind with truths about my incredible body and God-given life, I am not only filled with joy for my body and mind but can eagerly dedicate my whole body and existence to Him. The Lord created me; my body belongs to Him. I commit myself to serve His purposes for my life. How wonderful!

By entering and contemplating all the sights in this room of life, my mind finds great joy in a God who created and sustains me.

Spiritual alertness develops when we acknowledge God’s special gift of life and its accompanying healing.

Second Door: Spiritual Life

Opening the second door, we observe our spiritual lives. There is some confusion between physical life and spiritual life. The Gospel of John distinguishes between physical existence and spiritual life, which is spiritual communion with God.

⁹ There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him” (John 1:1-10).

The world was created through Him, Christ, and exists because of Him. This is physical life. Spiritual life, when absent, is reflected in the words, “But it did not know Him.” Their bodies are alive, but their souls are disconnected from God. As John continues, he discusses the spiritual life given to “those who believe in His name” and are “born of God” (John 1:13). Jesus further distinguishes physical and spiritual life in John 3 during His conversation with Nicodemus.

To deepen my meditations on spiritual life, I must gaze at my own casket. Paul highlights mankind’s spiritual deadness and unresponsiveness toward God apart from Christ (Ephesians 2:1-3). As I reflect on this, I grow more grateful for God’s hand in restoring my relationship with Him. I was spiritually unresponsive.

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins”
(Eph 2:1).

Do you remember when you were saved? I do. I immediately began to pray and speak to God, not because I was better than before. The Spirit regenerated my soul, and I repented of my sins, bringing about a pure and beautiful peace with God through the forgiveness of sin.

We need to regularly remind ourselves of what we were like before Christ saved us. I remember clearly the day and events that led to my new life in Christ, making it easier for me to reflect on my salvation. There is a distinct before and after. Before, I couldn't stand reading the Bible, but after salvation, I couldn’t put it down! Before, I used curse words frequently; afterward, they disappeared. The change might not be as obvious for those raised in a healthy Christian family and who believed as a young person, but even without such a dramatic view of our personal salvation, we still need to meditate on what our lives might look like without Christ. This contrast deepens our appreciation of our new spiritual life in Christ.

The best way to recognize our lives without Christ is to reflect on the temptations we've succumbed to. The expressions of our old nature become the mark of our dead spiritual lives. Without spiritual life influencing us, we pursue our self-centered interests. When we forget our salvation, the newness of our spiritual rebirth, our focus on the things of God, and so on, can fade from our minds. It’s so easy for our hearts to become dull to the things of the Lord and become spiritually unresponsive.

These insights into our spiritual new birth come from Christ’s life within us, the Spirit of Christ now dwelling in us (Rom 8:1). Because He caused us to come alive in Christ (Eph 2:5), we have faith in God and trust in His Words. God wonderfully comforts, guides, heals, and speaks to us. We can then enjoy His patient work with us as His beloved children.

This second door helps us refocus on the joy of knowing God’s choice of us (John 6:37, 39-40) in Christ daily. We become eager to be filled and led by the Spirit of Christ. Without Christ, we are spiritually dead, but in Him, we have eternal life!

Spiritual alertness deepens further when we remember how wonderfully God works in us to bring us into His spiritual family, compared to what we would be without Him.

Third Door: Life’s Purpose

Opening the third door of life purpose, the Holy Spirit guides us into a room that peels away another layer that causes spiritual dullness. Life’s purpose naturally flows from the gift of life. Conception creates life; life reveals purpose. No creature is an accident; its DNA code, which is so skillfully made and packaged, testifies to its design.

Each person's awareness and desires drive them to seek the purpose for which they were created. This explains why people place such importance on life’s meaning. The ability to search for this purpose comes from being made in God’s image (Gen. 1:27). “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Even those who deny God still seek to impress others and leave a legacy behind.

Having life, we seek to understand why we exist. We are not simply animated blobs with no purpose. Humanity desperately searches for the meaning of life. People might not find purpose without the light of spiritual life, but we can be sure that God has His purposes for all of us (John 1:5).

Ignorance of God’s role in their lives causes many to live for the pride of wealth and success, while others seek sensual satisfaction. The more our world rejects God, the more they pursue their burning passions, which eventually destroy them (Rom 1:19-28). They desperately search for meaning in life outside of God but become overwhelmed by their desires—which is the opposite of loving others. Being made in God’s image, man, even without Christ, strives to understand God’s purposes for him.

Humankind often pretends everything is fine, living in superficialities, but many are miserable, plagued by anxiety, fear, or bitterness. A declining stock market, personal conflicts, sudden mood swings, or loss of self-confidence shock, shake, and alert us to our unfulfilled pursuits.

Our bodies without purpose and meaning become useless! This is one main reason many commit suicide. Without purpose or significance, people can’t keep staring at life’s meaninglessness. Death seems better than a purposeless life.

I remember a teacher, Bill Gothard, who told juvenile delinquents about the meanings of their names. By exploring these meanings, he often helped them find some existential purpose and direction in their lives.

The joy of believers shines brightly as they come together, instantly adopted as children into God’s family. Sure, at first we don’t fully understand this deep sense of peace and joy, but as we learn about His love and acceptance through Christ, we can trust Him with questions about the purpose of our lives.

If physical life leads us to seek meaning, discovering spiritual life reminds us even more of God’s good purposes for us as His children. Paul tries to summarize the greatness of this truth with, “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” in Ephesians 3:14-19.

Life’s richness comes when we learn why God wonderfully created and saved us. We matter to Him—deeply loved, knowing Christ died for us. That’s why Christians aim to understand and follow God’s will for their lives.

¹⁹ “We love, because He first loved us. ²⁰ If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:19-20).

As our trust in Him deepens, we gradually open our lives to discover His larger purposes. Our physical and spiritual lives are beautifully intertwined in God’s eternal plan. Confidence in His plan increases as we recognize His love for us within the framework of His greater redemptive plan. Past fears and misinterpretations of life’s circumstances may have led us astray, but He truly shepherds us as His sheep. By letting go of the empty pursuits of the past, we can dismiss them as meaningless compared to God’s glorious purposes in Christ.

It’s better not to think that our lives are defined by one big purpose—God’s will. Our lives are clearer and more meaningful when we intentionally seek His purpose every day. Still, when we look back, we’ll likely better understand why God led us through difficult times or why we needed to endure certain trials.

Let us fully rejoice and prayerfully embrace His purpose for our lives. Like a blossom unfolding before the bright sun, so we daily open our hearts before Him, eagerly welcoming His plans so that we might glorify Him (Eph. 3:20-21).

Meditate on His purposes for us, then redirect us to God’s purposes for our lives, guarding us from wasting time and refining our understanding. Jesus occupied Himself with seeking God’s will, and although He had to bear the cross ahead, He never forgot to prepare Himself to live each day for His Father’s will.

“Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work”” (John 4:34).

Spiritual alertness grows when we witness God fulfill His plans through our lives.

Fourth Door: Christ’s Work

One final door awaits us to open and explore—Christ’s redemptive work. The exploration here never ends, a place where angels long to look and reflect. The angels stand outside of God’s redemptive plan, while we, His children, are the very subjects of God’s great mercy (Heb 2:16).

Although this doorway may seem similar to the gift of our spiritual lives, we turn in a different direction. Previously, we focused on having or not having spiritual life—its existence and the wonderful changes that come with gaining it. However, this fourth doorway asks us to look at God’s eternal plan of redemption. Check out my book that explores biblical themes of redemption throughout the Bible. Redemption Through the Scriptures: Gaining a Clearer Picture of Christ and His Saving Work.

Our minds often return to the simple, frequently needed reminder that we do not, in any way, earn salvation. There was, and still is, no inherent goodness within us that would prompt or require God to adopt us as His children and spare us from the wrath we deserved.

It’s not only right that we see ourselves as poor and desolate but also as reviling and rebellious. No matter how others might comment on how good a person we are, we are disgusted with ourselves as sinners. The true Christian’s experience is the opposite of the “religious” who assume and pretend righteousness. All have fallen short of God’s glory—rejected His purpose for our lives, and thus live under His wrath (John 3:36).

When we acknowledge our unworthiness of salvation (Mat 5:3), God’s great mercy in Christ shines brightly. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us” (Eph 2:4).

God’s redemptive plan is so expansive that no matter which way we turn, we are amazed by the richness of God’s mercy. Dare to daily contemplate the incredible truths woven into God’s eternal plan and earth’s history. Like Jacob, God foreknew us in Christ before our birth (Eph 1:4). Such meditations should not be resisted or frowned upon, but rather joyfully embraced.

“For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes (John 5:21).

Of course, these thoughts can leave us feeling quite vulnerable, thinking that apart from His choice of us, securing us in Christ on the cross, and His resurrection, we would have no hope. Some tremble at this idea, so much so that they hesitate to expose their thoughts, but there are numerous scriptures confirming these foundational truths and leading us to praise God.

Begin each day by thinking of both our unworthiness and God’s perfect plan of sending His Son to die for us sinners, drawing us close to Him. Let our hearts and minds be renewed in Christ, filling us with glowing thoughts of God’s love, power, and wisdom (Eph 3:14-19).

“That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God” (Eph 3:16-19)

God not only created us but also redeemed us; we have both physical and spiritual life! God’s love has forever sealed us to Himself, reminding us of the primary purpose of the universe: to bring praise to His Name. He displayed His grand, eternal, never-ending mercy upon us, humble and unworthy vessels. But the story doesn’t end with what He has already done; it continues as He daily intercedes for us, pouring forth more grace into our lives.

Despite the fiery plans against God’s people, we are safely sealed in His hands, allowing deep inner joy to overflow in our lives.

The flames of spiritual renewal ignite when we contemplate the many redemptive truths, leading us time and again to wonder how such incredible goodness could come to someone so unworthy. Blessed be our Savior Jesus Christ!

Conclusion

We can only truly recognize God’s greatest blessings when we regularly see how needy and desperate we are. Every doorway takes us into rooms where we can deepen our connection with God, wonderfully refreshing our minds and shedding dullness, exciting us for each day’s challenges and opportunities.

Questions on our life’s purpose follow life.

Discussion Questions for the Four Doors to Renewal

Where do the four doors generally lead?
Identify times when you are spiritually inattentive or not deeply grateful for your salvation.
Why is the analogy of a door used?
Describe where the first door leads. What are your initial thoughts when thinking of your life as something He sustains? How might these thoughts prepare us for our new day?
Describe where the second door leads. What are your initial thoughts? How might these thoughts prepare us for our upcoming day?
Describe where the third door leads. What are your initial thoughts when you consider His purpose for your life? How might these thoughts prepare us for today?
Describe where the fourth door leads. What are your initial thoughts when reflecting on the depth of God’s love, mercy, and grace poured out on you and others? How might these thoughts help prepare you for today?
Have you, at times, entered into each of these rooms or spheres of meditation? Explain.
Describe any problems or hangups that prevent you from being overwhelmed with God’s goodness in any area of meditation.
Make a prayer, asking God to help you deepen your knowledge of Him and understand the greatness of Christ.