by Sally Ivaska

As a Christian woman pursuing an advanced degree or already established in a profession, you may be asking yourself, "What does the Bible say about God's calling on my life?" Two resources that address this question are Debra Rienstra's article, "Call Waiting", and The Network of Presbyterian Women in Leadership's study, Ready or Not: Following God’s Call.

In "Call Waiting", Rienstra advocates giving up the word "call" altogether. She believes, especially with the college students she sees, that it can become an "elaborate theological torture devise…more hurtful than helpful or comforting." Read how she and her husband have come to understand the concepts of calling and vocation in their lives.

The Network of Presbyterian Women in Leadership (NPWL) has published a helpful Bible study, for use individually or in small groups, investigating Ruth and Jonah, two characters whose callings were very different. Written by Kathy Smith (Assistant Regional Director for InterVarsity in Baltimore) and Lane Henderson (retreat speaker and leader of communication workshops), Ready or Not: Following God's Call raises some of the questions we all ask including:

• What is the purpose of my life?
• Does God have a specific plan for me?
• How does God call people? Are there different ways he uses?
• Can wrong decisions be redeemed? Do I get a second chance?
• How do I know when to wait and when to move forward?

Using a journey metaphor, the authors divide each of nine studies into four sections:

1. First Steps – a question to stimulate thinking about your own life experiences.
2. Read the Map – questions to help you observe and understand the passage.
3. My Travel Log – application of biblical principles.
4. Traveler’s Tool Bag – a specific action in response to God’s leading.

Included are useful background information, some interesting personal reflection and application, and a limited bibliography of commentaries and books related to the topic of calling. An excellent leader's guide can be accessed online. The cost of the guide is $7.50, and it can be ordered from NPWL or by calling 502-425-4630.

I encourage you to gather a group of women this term to engage in this study of "calling." Find encouragement as these resources witness to the truth that "God's sovereignty is an infinitely elastic power that can somehow, incomprehensibly, weave the interrelationships of all our virtues, shortcomings, desire, and actions into the beauty of God's story for us and all people" (Rienstra, "Call Waiting").