Courage and Calling

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.



Gordon T. Smith (PhD, Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila University) 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, Consider Your Calling, and The Voice of Jesus.

1 Stewards of Our Lives


Navigating Change with Grace and Courage


2 The Meaning of Our Work


A Theological Vision for Engaging Our World


3 Seeking Congruence


The Character of Vocational Integrity


4 Chapters in Our Lives


Vocation and the Stages of an Adult Life


5 As Unto the Lord


The Pursuit of Excellence, Truth, Diligence and Generosity


6 Thinking Vocationally


Wisdom for the Road


7 Four Callings


Business, the Arts, Education and Religious Leadership


8 Courage and Character


Turning from the Fear That So Easily Entangles Us


9 The Capacity for Continuous Learning


The Way We Stay Alive and Engaged


10 The Cross We Bear


Difficulty and Emotional Maturity


11 Working with and Within Organizations


Leveraging Our Work with the Work of Others


12 The Ordered Life


Between Solitude and Community


Notes