Calling: Awaken to the Purpose of Your Work

Reviewed by:

G. Connor Salter, Professional Writing alumnus from Taylor University, Upland, IN.

Title:

Calling: Awaken to the Purpose of Your Work

Author:

Pierce Brantley

Publisher:

David C. Cook

Publication Date:

May 1, 2020

Format:

Paperback

Length:

224 pages

OVERVIEW

Most men want to believe their work means something and they are contributing to God’s kingdom. Businessman Pierce Brantley argues that men can have that sense of direction if they understand their calling. Using anecdotes from his business career as well as insights from successful men in the Bible, Brantley outlines what it looks like to find God’s direction and discover eternal purpose in the workplace.

Brantley has a reasonably good writing style and explains some under-discussed aspects of calling very well. For example, he notes how easy it is to either fall into the trap of believing that “promotion in the kingdom looks like poverty” or into the trap of believing that “promotion in the kingdom looks like a bigger paycheck.” The Bible indicates the truth is between those two extremes, and Brantley cautions readers against going too far into either ditch. Brantley also shares some important lessons about how using one’s calling well means learning to use one’s gifts well, not just trying to be spiritual all the time.

However, the book isn’t consistently great. Brantley sometimes tries to force conclusions that he can’t fully back up. In a chapter he talks about how the Queen of Sheba was impressed by Solomon’s castle and “the food of his table” (1 Kings 10:5), and argues that Solomon’s choice to eat with others showed his accountability. A good lesson, but the passage doesn’t say that the Queen was impressed by the fact Solomon ate his food with others, it says the Queen was impressed by the food. The quoted passage could be a good basis for talking about craft (making food well as example of Solomon’s chefs following their calling well), but doesn’t say anything about Solomon’s community choices. Applications like this don’t happen throughout the book, but they do crop up occasionally, and make it a bit harder to accept Brantley’s ideas. Add that to the fact that he doesn’t fully explain what it means to be guided by God (he talks about praying for help and getting guidance on various occasions, but not how he knew the guidance was from God) and the result is a book that falls short of its intentions. Thus, it’s a decent book and certainly a well-intentioned book, but not quite a great book.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5 stars)

3 stars

Suggested Audience

Christian men interested in learning how to find meaning in their work.

Christian Impact

Brantley guides readers through various Biblical passages to show what it means to follow God’s advice to find a direction in work and contribute to building God’s kingdom. As noted above, his applications are not always accurate, but he still helps readers understand some key ideas about finding their calling.