Courage and Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential

by Gordon T. Smith

God calls us first to himself, to know and follow him, and also to a specific life purpose, a particular reason for being. This second call or "vocation" has implications not only for our work or occupation, but also includes our giftedness, our weaknesses, our life in community and what we do day to day. In this book Gordon Smith invites you to discover your vocation by listening to God and becoming a coworker with him.

What is my calling? How do I live it out in the midst of difficult relationships or moral challenges? Will my vocation change as I enter a new stage of life? With competing needs and demands, how can I craft a balanced way of living? Smith addresses these questions and many more in the pages of this book. This new edition has been revised and updated throughout with two expanded chapters and a new chapter on four specific areas of calling. Here is rich insight for all who long for the ears to hear and the courage to follow God's call.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Leadership, Christian Living, Theology, Christianity, Personal Growth

273 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 30, 1999

About the author

Gordon T. Smith is the president of Ambrose University and Seminary in Calgary, Alberta, where he also serves as professor of systematic and spiritual theology. He is an ordained minister with the Christian and Missionary Alliance and a teaching fellow at Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia. He is the author of many books, including Courage and Calling, Called to Be Saints, Spiritual Direction, and Consider Your Calling.

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite simply, I loved this book. It was one of those books where I just had to keep pausing in my reading and thinking about an amazing point that Smith had just made or a challenging question he had asked. As Daniel commented in his review, it tends toward being perhaps too organized with the lists and such, but that helps you to take more away from the book. More than a book about vocation, I think that Courage and Calling is a book about living with purpose and passion.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will make you think! The author delves into the difference between a "calling," a "vocation," and a "job/work" in an insightful and even provocative way. This book might ruffle some feathers as the author disrupts our traditional views of jobs, careers, life purpose, and "holy work" versus "secular work." Well worth reading by anyone of any adult age or background.

[Mary Anne Swart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chapter 3 was good. He said, "Our vocational identity is in some form or another aligned with how we each uniquely see the pain and brokenness of the world. Where do you feel the deep fragmentation of the world?” That really hit me.

I forgot every other chapter as soon as I finished reading it.

[Caleb Otto · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that has the potential to be life-forming. Covering a range of widely connected topics like finding who God has really made you to be, to how to work in community and organization in a healthy way, and much more. Definitely worth the read. I would encourage reading rather than listening as I found myself rereading paragraphs, slowly taking it in and thinking.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book sounds as if it would be one of those "God has destined you for greatness" types. But it isn't. It's about the continual, lifelong process of discerning your vocation/calling. This subject can be beaten to death, but Smith offers a fresh, life-giving take on things. I had Smith as a Prof. at Regent and I find him to be so wise, practical and challenging. I have heard a lot of these things before, so I skimmed large parts of the book- otherwise the book might receive higher praise from me. Even still, I would consider it required reading for pretty much everyone, especially people in seasons of change in their life.

[Karla Osorno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 4 stars.

Embracing your God-given potential is a perfect subtitle to this book. I loved the distinctions given between vocation and career, which helped me gain clarity in my life. Whether you are starting out in life or navigating a life transition, this book could offer insights and encouragement.

Gordon T. Smith’s writing is grounded in biblical truth of who God is and who he created us to be in the world, including our limitations. He offers a balanced approach to the topics for people at different stages of life. Smith alternates between general concepts and practical examples. His thoughts on being grounded in your call as a Christian and your specific call in the world are honoring and repeated in the final chapter which I appreciated.

My friend and I read and discussed this book over many months as a buddy read. Some of the chapters we had so much to say, we couldn’t stop talking about it. Others we had little to say, thinking they lacked the same resonance and depth. Overall, this book was helpful to both of us and we are in very different stages of life, so I encourage Christians to read it.

[Amy T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book full of so much wisdom. Personally, I felt that the first couple of chapters were too general and therefore lacked depth but Chapter 4 really started to go deep and it just got better from there.

The book is about vocation: what are we particularly and specifically called to accomplish in this life? What did God design us for? How does this relate to our jobs, our gifts, our passions, and our day to day lives? Smith outlines every facet that surrounds these questions and digs deep into giving the reader full understanding of the idea of vocation. I felt personally convicted by many truths Smith presented in this book and also continuously found multiple practicals and morsels of wisdom that apply to my own personal journey and that I have already applied to my day to day life. I certainly was blessed by this book and the author's desire to assist the reader in not only discovering their purpose in the world (which he clearly and continuously reminds us may not be related to career) but also the importance of one's relationship with Christ in this lifelong quest. Definitely a book I will refer back to in the future.

[Lori Eby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m wary of free audible books, but this one smashed the stereotypes. A blend of theory and practice, I’m walking away (but will be circling back) from this book with a new understanding of what it might look like to live vocationally, with understanding and purpose for myself as human, as Christian, and as *me*. It satisfied my questions about why this matters and gave sound practical advice for decisions I face.

[Joe Burnham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take time to reflect.

I've read a variety of books on the subject of calling, and most tend to fall into one of two categories. First, you have the books that talk about the nature of vocation and perhaps give a theological rationale for it. They are nice, but they are mostly informative. The second type is more a workbook that helps you figure out what it is you're good at, but rarely do they establish a solid rationale and framework that helps you understand your calling in the broader scheme of things. In Courage and Calling, Gordon Smith gives us both, with a nice blend of theory and application throughout the book ... although the application comes in the form of questions and promptings rather than a test that will give you all the answers (making the reader do the work is the brilliance in his approach). I'm sure I'll turn back to this book again, be it when I'm in a time of transition, as I move from mid-adulthood into my later years, or when walking with others through their journey.

[Taija · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book my last year in college with three wonderful women. The discussion among us as we read and examined our lives through this book was incredible. I cannot think of a better book to read before, during, and even after a "crossroads" of sorts. It is difficult to summarize what I gained from this book and even more difficult to distinguish what was gained from the book versus the discussion stimulated by it. I can only encourage you to read it with someone so you can benefit from both.

"The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." -Frederick Buechner

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

p24 Typical narrow understanding of a calling: "your only excuse for staying home and not going to the mission field is if by staying home you can do more to further the cause of missions than by going..."
p39 A common but unfortunate message: "God isn't looking for ability, but availability"
p73 "We will not be a source of wisdom, unless we bless"
p144 "We suffer with hope"
p150 "is something lost by abandoning oral confessions..."
p155 Being a hero v. Accepting limitations
p157 "Nothing represents maturity as much as emotional resilience"

[Kevin McGlothen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased this book while in college at a conference. This book is amazing. It helps you discover your God-given calling.

[Jeremy Gardiner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this for my "Foundations of Learning" class at Moody. It had some helpful reflections on vocation, calling, and self-improvement. However, it's not really my type of book.

[Tim Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book because of its link to calling; an ongoing interest of mine. I found it "A Tale of Two Books". (Must have that title on my mind.)

The first few chapters were excellent. Mr. Smith lays out his views on calling and vocation, making a compelling case of work as our calling and the sacredness of all work. I found these to be well thought out and presented. I also found very helpful a following chapter on on the stages of life and how our calling moves with us through life.

The remainder of the book, however, disappointed. A chapter on "four vocations" where Mr. Smith illustrates his thoughts in the areas of business, the arts, education and religious leadership seems poorly thought out and rather surface. The chapter on courage and character (immediately after the four vocations) was decent but without a clear connection to the flow of the book. A chapter near the end on working in organizations was a very surface treatment of what has been written about to a much deeper (and better) level in other places. A 147-page book that ends with "Thinking Vocationally" would, in my view, have been far stronger.

If you are interested in, or passionate about vocation and work, pick up the book. But if you stop reading about mid-way through it, I'll understand.

[Tyler Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Smith starts his book by distinguishing between the call of God to become a Christian and the vocational call for our lives. Unfortunately, this is where almost all of the distinctly Christian material of the book ends. He unhelpfully addresses vocation and career divorced from the Gospel, never taking us back to the Christian worldview that builds such a foundation. As a result, much of the book comes across "self-help-y," repeatedly asking us to be true to ourselves and to maximize all God has empowered us to be (half-truths since they aren't properly qualified).

That being said, there is some great wisdom in this book: much to be commended in the discussion of work ethic, healthy stories, and wonderful illustrations from history and culture. His writing style is often over-repetitive, but therefore thorough. I read this book with a college student, and found the book to be notably more applicable to those already in the workforce as opposed to those discerning their call before leaving higher-education.

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

My description of this book would be a general self-help book with a Christian cover page. While I do think Smith speaks into the practical aspects of discerning calling and vocation that is often drowned out by the heaviness in the theological approaches to this topic, I found this book to nearly completely ignore the role of God in this process! Much of the language emphasizes discovering your truth and your calling and finding it yourself. The sparse bible verses and Christian lingo peppered throughout the pages only seemed to paint God as simply a tool for your own purposes in discovering yourself. I wish there was more discussion about bringing God into the conversation and discerning His input but unfortunately I could hardly find any of that, again give or take a few Christian lines here and there.

[JJ Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before I started reading this, I thought it would feel like a self-help book. And then I was pleasantly surprised by the first chapter and had high hopes for the rest of it. But then it started to lose me around the 4th of 5th chapter. This book has a lot of really interesting ideas, and I appreciate what Smith was trying to do, but it feels really scattered to me; the last four chapters in particular seemed to be only loosely connected to his main idea. Maybe I just read it too fast and didn't take enough time for it to sink in, but it really didn't have the impact that I was hoping it to have.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Smith digs deep into the seemingly simple realm of calling to give nuance and depth into what it means to have a partnership with God. The distinction he makes between calling and vocation, and dividing calling into what he calls general, specific, and immediate dimensions of calling are practical and wise.

I can only like book so much though, given its assumptions about the reader on their privilege and freedom to pick and choose what sort of jobs or work they can have. Author could have clarified his audience.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read! I think Smith does a great job addressing vocation from all different walks of life, not just for the young or the older and wiser generations. This book has served as a great jumping point for reflection in solitude, as well as discussion in community. It's an easy read and really helpful for someone who might be "figuring stuff out" in their vocation. I would probably even re-read this in another season/stage of life because its content would still be relevant.

[Deidrea DeWitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fiction author, I really appreciated this book because it not only acknowledged artists in their work as artists, but didn't encourage us to Christianize our work.

Although the book is not heavily scripture-based, it really makes you pause and reflect in every chapter about the paths you're taking and if they are the ones God wants you to take. This book helped me a lot in this season of life. Highly recommend.

[Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book! It's taken me so long to get through it because I kept stopping to write things down. It has made me think, and shed a more realistic light on vocation and purpose, setting me free from the pressure to accomplish huge, great and heroic things, to live my life, my calling, with purpose and clarity. I could go through it again and get even more out of it.

[Lastri Naibaho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I read this book in Bahasa Indonesia.
Love this book.
This book is not the guideline to find "a calling" like other books which I often disagree with. Since there are no such things I think.
Instead of teaching us to find our calling, this book helps us to examine our motifs which may drive us to make a wrong decision.

[Tammi Stuhldreher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book on calling and vocation. Written from a Christian perspective, it will also be helpful for anyone trying to reconcile work, family, purpose. I especially liked that this book spent a lot of time talking to women, those in the workplace and those at home. Most books about vocation completely forget moms and the unique struggles we face at home and at work.

[Hamman Banjiram · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book. It is useful for both, and old young people; whether you are thinking of a vocation or you already have one. This book is thought provoking, and uncompromising in its addressing of it's subject matter. Are you in the early stage, middle stage, or the latter stage of your life? This book is designed for you.

[Nate Duriga · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book (at least in the version I read) seemed lighter than usual (for Smith) on theological framework, and more of wise reflections from a mentor who's been in a variety of roles and organizations. What he says is wise and valuable and encouraging to me in my journey of vocational growth and discernement, and so I give it a good 4 stars.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book on vocation that I've found.
Balancing the practical and spiritual, Smith invites his readers to consider their unique gifts and recognize their unique calling. Acknowledging the challenges of discernment, he offers very helpful advice about how to best steward our lives and live truly in response who who God made us to be.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best vocational work I have come across

This is an excellent work! Deeply spiritual and in touch with the soul of man and the struggles he encounters in discerning vocation. Smith remains faithful to the Scriptures in all.

[Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Read for school*
This book was great. It was written well and had so many amazing points about our calling rooted in Biblical answers, not worldly self-help answers. Definitely well worth the read for any age.

*Chapter 5 and 12 were amazing!

[Jared Baergen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely terrible theology. The whole book could be summarized with the phrase, "Be true to yourself." I lost count of how many times the author made this statement. There are plenty of better books out there related to vocation and calling that are far less man-centered.

[Amy Jacobsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wise counsel from a man of God.