Discover God's Dream For You By Jennie AllenSample

Built to Run or Thread of Gifts (Part 1)

Recently I ended up with my four kids in two very different go-carts settings.

The first was the size of a small swimming pool. The cars didn’t go anywhere. Instead they bumped into each other in a suffocating parking lot. It cost one dollar to ride, and after my kids finished, they ran off to the next thing and didn’t look back.

Soon after I found a new go-cart site with the most epic go-cart track ever! Upon arrival, they issued us helmets and inquired about heart conditions.Ummm . . . where the heck are we? The cost of our adventure would have been over a hundred dollars—thankfully my two youngest were too short to participate. Instead we sat in the bleachers and watched an incredible race play out. My two older kids strapped in, hit their pedals, and chased each other at ungodly speeds around a ginormous track.

Although occasionally they bumped each other, mostly they raced their guts out while having the time of their lives. They’ll never forget that race.

I think most of us have paid a dollar and found ourselves in some stagnant rubber car bumping into each other.

I know many people who are driving around a parking lot, yet they can’t figure out why they feel discontent. They’re afraid if they pull out of the lot and onto a real track:

• They wouldn’t have anything to contribute.
• They’d go too fast—get out of control.
• They’d wreck.
• People would judge them.

But what if . . .

What if we had God-given gifts and he wanted to turn us loose using them?

What if we were built for a track and we’re camped out in a parking lot?

In today’s Bible passage, Joseph hoped his gifts were for his own glory. I picture this as a parking-lot season for him. He was brash, arrogant, and using his God-given gift for his own purposes. He was crashing into his brothers. But, there is a purpose for all of this; there is a track with side rails. God gives us gifts to unleash for his glory, and we will experience the pleasure of racing while God is using us, but remembering our gifts’ primary purpose is building up others.

Respond:

From the go-cart analogy, are you in a parking lot or on a track? Why?

What keeps you from using your gifts?

Adapted from Restless Bible Study Guide by Jennie Allen