Last week we announced that our new workbook, Hear God Calling You: A Biblical and Practical Approach to Discerning Your Calling and Finding Career Fulfillment, is launching at the end of this month. Today, I get to tell you a bit more about what you can expect from the workbook.
Throughout the process of developing the workbook, one of the things we pondered was that so often the teaching and dialog surrounding hearing God calling is ambiguous, cerebral, or confusing. It is easy to read or research about a topic like this and feel inspired, but then leave without taking any practical action. I, for one, have listened to many sermons on Sunday and then never once applied the concepts to my life during the week.
The writer of the book of James identified this human tendency when he wrote, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” (James 1:22-25)
Our desire as we put together this workbook was to help you to be “doers” and not “hearers only.” For Hear God Calling You, We borrowed from the idea of the Lean Canvas — a one-page business planning model — and created a Calling Canvas. It’s built like a picture frame leading to the focal point of your calling and purpose in the center. At seven points throughout the workbook, you’ll encounter application exercises which are collected and summarized in the Calling Canvas at the end of the book.
The hope is that you will pin the Calling Canvas up on your wall in your office, or someplace you’ll see it regularly. Maybe you’ll come back and work through this process annually or when you feel you’ve lost your way. We hope it will serve as a reminder of all that God has done, and is yet to do, in you and through you.
And the best part is that the Calling Canvas applications are far from the only exercises you’ll experience along the way! Each chapter is full of additional reflection questions and practical exercises to engage with and to help apply the material in your life.
What I learned in the process
Developing this workbook has been an amazing process. As a content creator and editor for Crossroads, much of the actual research, writing, and editing of the workbook was my responsibility. Board members Dave Sparkman and Tim Krauss also had significant input and influence on the content, structure, and creation of the workbook, and others have contributed ideas and edits throughout as well.
You’d hope that writing a whole workbook about hearing God calling would provide some opportunity for reflection in my own life. I can definitely say I have a clearer picture of the way God has designed me with unique gifts and am more confident in what it looks like to live out my calling. (I talk about this more in an upcoming episode of the Crossroads Career Podcast!) I am learning to embrace that God made me an “enthusiast,” which means that when I am passionate about something I can’t help but share it with others. Whether I’m sharing about the latest book I’ve read, the amazing resources at Crossroads Career, a new recipe I tried, or the saving grace of our Savior, I want the whole world to know….and (it turns out) that’s a gift.
I hope that, like me, this workbook helps you connect with our amazing God in new ways to gain direction and clarity in your calling and career. I’m so excited to be able to share it with you soon!
Laura Miller works for Crossroads Career as a writer and editor, and lives in the Kansas City area with her accountant husband. Laura hosts and produces The Library Laura Podcast, which is a weekly dose of book recommendations, library love, and literary enthusiasm. She also runs the Crossroads Career Podcast, with new episodes every two weeks to encourage you in your career journey. Previously, she worked in the insurance and retail industries.
