What can we learn from a dead-end?

I love that two of our grandsons live on a dead-end road. There’s less traffic, and when an unfamiliar vehicle finds it’s way down that way, people notice.

Figuratively speaking, we may feel our life has detoured down a dead-end. We can feel stuck, trapped, a life turned stagnate, rote, meaningless.

Same job, same routine, same old same old. Even the cat looks bored.

We wonder what’s the use?

What’s the point?

Why get up every day, why put one foot in front of the other, do the whatever, and call it a day. Then call it a night. Then do it all again. We can feel caught in a trap…

We may feel nothing is happening, feel God is not listening, feel He’s not there.

But our feelings can distort the truth. The truth is, something is always happening, He is always listening, and He is always there.

Are we looking far too inward, when we need to be looking outward and upward?

If you begin to fear you’re going nowhere, stop right there and remember this:

God didn’t create us to spin our wheels standing still. We are being called to action. Click to tweet

Here’s the thing, when we feel we’ve hit a dead-end, we need to look around. There are others there too. If we hadn’t ventured down that road, we would never have encountered those who live there, those who work there, those who hide there.

We may have been sent that way for them, or we may have been sent that way for us. We may be there to teach someone, or we may be there to be taught. Look again. Look deeper.

The Word tells us of signs and wonders. There’s one sign His children won’t see: Dead End.

There are no dead-end roads with God, unless of course we try paving roads on our own. He’ll allow it if we choose it, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

You know that phrase marketers think they’ve invented? You’ve heard it: The gift that keeps on giving? Well God was first with the concept. He has gifted us for a reason, because the gifts He has given us are not meant for us.They are meant to be used on all the roads we find ourselves on, even the roads less traveled.

God is calling us to use our spiritual gifts. Every believer has been given at least one.

If you’ve never completed a Spiritual Gifts Assessment, it’s a great tool. Here’s a link through Lifeway, where you can print a list of spiritual gifts, and the assessment:

http://www.lifeway.com/Article/Women-Leadership-Spiritual-gifts-growth-service

Discover your gifts, use your gifts, give your gifts; so that through them others will come to know Christ and God will be glorified.

So before we’re tempted to turn around when our human eyes see a dead-end, pray for spiritual eyes to see if God is asking us to put it in park.

Remember, when we venture down a dead-end street, people will notice. Through us may they see Jesus, cause we’re not the Famous One, and when we share about hope in the Famous One, people will take notice.

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Romans 12:6-8

Sharing prompt:

Has God re-purposed what you thought was a dead-end? What are your spiritual gifts, and how can you use them for ministry?