Movement Opens Doors:
How Automatic Doors Teach Us to Change
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”
You’re standing in front of an automatic door, waiting for it to open, perhaps eager to complete your grocery list or bag some deals at your favorite retail store—only to realize you’re too far away.
You take a step forward, then another, and whoosh—it opens.
The life-change we hope and pray for often works the same way.
You can wish for the door to open. Pray it will move. You can stare at it. Visualize it. Will it. Hope that it notices you. But nothing happens—until you move.
The Door Responds to Movement, Not Intention
Automatic doors don’t open because of hope, or planning, or good intentions. They open when you’re close enough—when you take a step. The sensor doesn’t respond to your wishes or will. It responds to your presence.
The same is true for personal change, healing, and growth. You can read the books. Say the prayers. Plan the changes. Hope someone else will change. But until you take a step—nothing shifts. Nothing changes if nothing changes.
This is where a lot of us get stuck: waiting for the motivation, the certainty, the confidence to show up first.
Those things often come after you move.
“Embrace the uncertainty. Some of the most beautiful chapters in our lives won’t have a title until much later.” — Bob Goff
The Psychology of Change: CBT and the Power of Forward Motion
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based psychological approach that teaches us something powerful: thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected, but change often begins with doing.
For example:
Anxiety: CBT doesn’t insist you feel brave before acting. Exposure—small, intentional steps toward the fear—is movement that can begin to calm the fear. The door opens.
Depression: CBT encourages behavioral activation—taking action before motivation shows up. Get out of bed. Take a shower. Go outside. Just do it! Small moves can shift your emotional state. The door opens.
Substance use: CBT helps identify what triggers your cravings and replaces them with healthier coping actions. One small decision—like committing to one sober hour, calling a support person instead of your unhealthy coping mechanism, or skipping a risky situation—is a step toward the sensor and can interrupt the exhausting, unhealthy cycle. You don’t need to be perfect. Just move toward recovery. The door opens.
Relationship boundaries: Many people hold the belief, “If I say no, I’ll lose them,” or “I’m responsible for how others feel.” CBT helps us challenge these thoughts and practice setting small, respectful boundaries. Every “no” spoken in truth is your “best yes” and a step toward peace. The door opens.
In CBT, action doesn’t wait for emotion to catch up, it leads.
Through a Spiritual Lens: Faith Requires Movement
The automatic door metaphor echoes a powerful Christian Faith-based truth:
“Faith without works is dead.” – James 2:26
God often calls us to move before we see the outcome. Consider:
Abraham obeyed God and left his homeland without knowing his destination.
Peter stepped out of the boat before he knew he could walk on water.
The lepers were healed as they went (Luke 17:14).
God’s miracles or promises often follow our obedience.
Spiritual doors often open when we walk in faith—not waiting until every answer is clear or makes sense.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5–6
If you’re feeling stuck, unsure, or scared to take that next step, know this: you don’t have to move perfectly. Just move faithfully.
Grace for the Journey
The beauty of the Gospel is that God doesn’t demand flawless steps—He asks for faithful ones.
You may have stood at the door for a long time. Maybe you even walked away from it. But God's grace is new every morning (Lamentations 3:22–23), and His invitation stands: Come closer. Try again. Take one step.
You are not alone. He walks with you. And what’s on the other side of that door is more than change—it’s transformation.
Take the Step
You don’t need to see the whole path. You don’t have to feel fearless. And you definitely don’t need to have it all figured out.
You just need to move—one honest, faithful, imperfect step at a time.
Need help making a move? Contact me - Let’s open doors!
✨ Reflection: Make the Move
What “door” have you been standing in front of?
What’s one small step you can take today—emotionally, practically, spiritually—to move closer to your preferred future?
Write it down. Pray over it. Then move.
