Vocation

The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.

If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the people to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.

I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.

The humblest sweeping maid sweeping to the Glory of God is therefore just as significant as the greatest preacher in the world.

Look, I'm just a singer. But in the end, I want to tear a little corner off the darkness.

All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.

I find out what the world needs, then I proceed to invent.

To image the being of God toward the world, to be the priest of creation, is to behave toward the world in all its aspects of work and of play, in such a way that it may come to be what it was created to be, that which praises its Maker by becoming perfect in its own way.

It is a vain thought to flee from the work that God appoints us, for the sake of finding a greater blessing, instead of seeking it where alone it is to be found - in loving obedience.

Just as it is better to illuminate than merely shine, so to pass on what one has contemplated is than merely to contemplate.

In his presence, Washington crew men always stood, for he symbolized that for which God’s children always stand.

for him the craft of building a boat was like religion. It wasn’t enough to master the technical details of it. You had to give yourself up to it spiritually; you had to surrender yourself absolutely to it. When you were done and walked away from the boat, you had to feel that you had left a piece of yourself behind in it forever, a bit of your heart.

Many are the scholars who make it their professional occupation to occupy themselves in this towering edifice of culture, exploring its nook and crannies, developing their responses, making their contributions here and there, and helping to hand it on to succeeding generations. For some the temptation proves irresistible to go yet farther and make this the concern of their lives, letting society go its own sorry way while they lock themselves away in this abiding, socially transcendent cultural stronghold, acquiescing in society while pursuing Bildung. As Rotterdam burns, they study Sanskrit verb forms.

A moralistic mindset sees ‘the world’ as a profane place that we should have as little to do with as possible. The secular mindset makes work into almost a form of self-salvation, a way to prove yourself and amass wealth or achievement.The gospel leads us to integrate our faith with our work, to turn our vocation into a way to serve others rather than ourselves, and to reshape our job with the priorities of God’s kingdom.

I don’t want people who want to dance. I want people who have to dance

The prime motive was the desire of a tale-teller to try his hand at a really long story that would hold the attention of readers, amuse them, delight them, and at times maybe excite them or deeply move them.

"There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: 'Mine!'"

We can't take any credit for our talents. It's how we use them that counts.

Teach them the quiet verbs of kindness, to live beyond themselves. Urge them toward excellence, drive them toward gentleness, pull them deep into yourself, pull them upward toward manhood, but softly like an angel arranging clouds. Let your spirit move through them softly.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.

I learned from him reverence for wood, letting the wood talk back to you as it were. Wood at some point says, “Look, I don’t want you to do this to me. You’re violating me. I wasn’t meant to be treated in this way.” I learned from him the craftsmanship to make it right and not to cut corners.