Purpose & Desire: Why You Need Both to Understand Your Calling

Summary

In this episode of the Faith and Work podcast, host Joanna Meyer engages with Tracey Gee, author and consultant, to explore the intricate relationship between purpose, desire, and calling. They discuss the challenges of discerning one's calling, especially in the context of faith, and how desire plays a crucial role in this process. Tracey shares her personal journey of navigating career transitions and the importance of recognizing and embracing one's desires. The conversation also touches on gender perspectives regarding desire, the consequences of ignoring it, and practical steps to identify and pursue one's desires. Ultimately, they emphasize the significance of engaging with disappointment and the treasure hidden within our lives as we seek to align our work with our calling.

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Highlights

Excerpt from The Magic of Knowing What You Want
"Our desires have something important to say. They shake things up in profoundly generative ways to help us create what the world needs. The more I work with people coming alive to who they are, the stronger my hunch is that our desires have a central role to play in us, and the world is waiting to welcome the beautiful work our desires are capable of."
 
On Question Overload 
"And I noticed that when you ask yourself, what do I want? Usually what happens is that you start asking then 60 other questions. Like, okay, what do I want? Yeah, but is that really possible? Or if I could do that, could I pull that off? Like, I don't know if I, if anyone would actually hire me, does that exist? I don't know if I can afford that. don't know. Am I allowed to ask this? Am I allowed to want this? Then not only are we trying to ask, again, this question that I think is really sacred and really central, but then we get sort of hijacked by millions of other questions that quickly pile on top of it. those are questions often, not always, but often rooted in some fear, some anxiety, some uncertainty, right, all of the above. And then we're overwhelmed and we don't know what to do with that."

Resources

Women, Work, & Calling annual event

Join a dynamic community of women who are passionate about loving God and serving others through their work. At WWC25, you’ll gain fresh insight, practical tools, and gospel-centered encouragement for every stage of your professional journey. At WWC25, we invite you to embrace the “AND” as you lean into God, his purposes in the world, and who he made you to be. Join a global community of women passionate about stewarding their influence in public life, for God’s glory AND others’ good.
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tracey's book

Liked what you heard in this episode? Learn more about purpose & desire in Tracey's new book, "The Magic of Knowing What You Want." What do you really want? It's an uncomplicated question until you try to answer it meaningfully. Whether prompted by transition, disruption, or curiosity about how to live more aligned with your values, we've all been there, feeling frozen, stuck, or lost in the fog of competing, half-baked desires, unsure how to move forward.
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discussion guide

Do you wonder how to connect your passions, skills, and roles to God’s purpose for your life? Whether you’re building your career path, juggling diverse responsibilities, or seeking direction for what’s next, the question remains—what unifying theme holds it all together? In our quiet moments, we hope God guides our efforts and takes delight in our work. Dive into your calling—start discovering your purpose today! This 5-session discussion guide is ideal for small groups, workplace communities, mentoring pairs, and conversations with friends.
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LISTEN

"Calling" is a term that is commonly used in Christian life. But what does it actually mean to have a calling? Join Joanna Meyer and Brian Gray as they discuss this important topic with Daniel Steiner, a leadership coach with over 20 years of experience as a pastor, professor, and speaker; and with William Klein, Professor Emeritus of New Testament Interpretation at Denver Seminary. Together they have co-authored "What Is My Calling?: A Biblical and Theological Exploration of Christian Identity".

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