The Calling (Concordia Publishing House, 2010)
Author Kurt Senske divides his book, which combines Biblical wisdom with secular strategies, into 3 major parts and a short concluding section. He sets the stage in Part 1 by defining significance as that which must flow from our Christian faith, involves the need to discern the role God is calling us at any given moment, is shaped through our daily routines, and is measured by the quality of how we live in the present.
In Part 2, Dr. Senske presents 8 strategies that will help us live out our calling:
1. Make God the center of your life- do more than hear God, listen!
2. Make connections between the individuals, events, organizations, etc. that God has placed in your life, both past and present.
3.Incorporate rituals into your everyday life- identify goals and establish routines that will become habitual with practice.
4.Honestly tell your story- a difficult but necessary step. Failing to confront the secret self we keep hidden from others can have disastrous consequences.
5.Approach life from a “growth mindset” that connects your current live with your future life and is marked by faithful service to God and others.
6.The power of flow- being so involved in an activity that you do it simply because you love doing it because it flows from your relationship with God through faith in Jesus.
7.Lead a life of simplicity- we live a life centered in God, since we are in the world but not of the world.
8.Caring for yourself- strengthen your relationship with God, incorporate rituals that enhance physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
Finally, in Part 3 the author integrates those strategies into living out your calling through service to family, profession, community and church. The book concludes with chapters on embracing suffering and death.
