Want to find more purpose and meaning in your work? This NEW book by bestselling author Jordan Raynor will help you discover and focus in on the work you were created to do. Check out my Master of One book review, including three things I learned from reading this book.
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It’s the age old question: What am I called to DO here on Earth? What’s my purpose?
I know I’ve asked it many times, and I bet you have too. We want to know, what is God’s purpose for our lives, and how do we carry it out? How do we find work that really makes us “come alive”?
Well, my friend, I might just have the answer for you!
A few months back, I read and reviewed a wonderful book, Called to Create by Jordan Raynor. And I already knew Jordan’s second book was on the way, which I was very much looking forward to reading as well…and now, IT’S HERE! Today is the official release date for Master of One!
And I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy, so I’ve already read it, and I can wholeheartedly tell you: It’s everything I expected and more! And I can’t wait to share with you everything I learned from Master of One, and what I loved most about it.
Master of…what, exactly?
But first, a little background. I’ve been on a long post-college journey, trying to find my career sweet spot. From random jobs, to spending five years building a freelance design business that just never quite worked out, to where I’m at now (still working part-time, and building Divine Creative Love).
So as you might imagine, I’ve often wondered what in the world God has planned for me to do. Am I on the right track…or, way off in the wilderness?
And in reading Master of One, I definitely have a clearer picture of what I need to look for going forward, to get closer to the vocational work God has called me to do.
But Master of One isn’t just about finding your calling; it’s also about how to use your work as a means to glorify God and serve others. So, whether you already know what you’re made to do, or you haven’t a clue, this book has something to offer.
Master of ONE: 3 Things I Learned from This Book
1) It’s not enough just to look for what you’re passionate about and what you’re gifted at. Those things are certainly important to find the work we’re called to do, but there is something else we need to look for, and that’s “divine multiplication”. Like the parable of the sower in Mark 4:3-8, we need to scatter seed in a variety of places (try different things), to find the fertile soil that will yield a plentiful harvest. As Jordan puts it:
As you begin the search for the one thing you will choose to master in your work, be on the lookout for the early signs of divine multiplication. Just like a crop, the miracle of divine multiplication is not seen overnight. But week by week, month by month, you should begin to see your seeds sprout, your sprouts blossom, and, over time, your blossoms produce fruit at a rate that can only be explained by the grace of God. [Master of One, pg. 73].
2) Doing excellent work is essential, to serve God and people well. If you’ve ever had your refrigerator go on the fritz, or you’ve returned a pair of pants because they ripped the first time you washed them, or you’ve had to buy three coffee makers in a year because they all break…you know QUALITY IS A BIG DEAL. As Christians, think how much trouble and stress we could prevent other people from going through, just by doing excellent work? You KNOW that Jesus (who was a carpenter by trade) would’ve made the BEST chairs and tables, that would be sturdy and reliable for many years of use. So, how much more should we strive to do quality work? It just makes sense, to do excellent work that improves or even saves lives (rather than making people’s lives more difficult by doing mediocre or even shoddy work).
3) Excellence is not for our own fame or bragging rights, but for God’s glory! Take my hand-lettered calligraphy art, for example. It’s so easy to say to myself, “Other hand-lettering artists are so much better than me”, or “I want my art to look so much prettier (just for the sake of beauty)”, and then use that as motivation to improve my mastery of hand-lettering. But it’s a very different, deeper, kind of motivation to improve my technique when I say “I want to do a better job of bringing God’s Word to life, therefore I need to practice and get better every day”.
Working as for the Lord: Inspiring Examples!
All in all, I’m so grateful to Jordan Raynor for writing Master of One, to inspire myself and Christians around the world, to use our work to bring glory to God and to love our neighbors. God nudges me more and more in that direction every day, to not just work because I think I have to, or for my own selfish gain, or any other reason…but to work for Him.
Throughout the book, Jordan uses inspiring examples of Christians who are doing excellent work for the glory of God, to show us what it means to truly ‘work as for the Lord’ (Colossians 3:23). I particularly loved the story of Olympic gold medalist David Boudia…who knew that diving could be used as a means of worshipping and glorifying the Creator? So cool.
I was actually watching the 2016 Olympic men’s synchro diving event on TV, when David and his synchro partner, Steele Johnson, were interviewed after coming in second. They both testified to feeling confident and secure, with their identity being in Christ, and not in the results of the contest. A far cry from the usual sad-faced silver medalists who should be happy, but are sad because they came so close to gold and missed the mark!
It turns out, there are so many great examples of Christ followers who are doing excellent things for the glory of God. I think that’s what I most enjoyed about reading Master of One; to see those stories of people who have overcome struggles, found their calling, and who continue to master their craft for the purpose of serving God and loving people.
If you want to be inspired to do your best work—the work God has called you to do—I highly recommend Master of One! Whether you already know what you’re called to do, or you’re still trying to figure it out, this book will spur you on to do purposeful work for God’s glory and the good of others. Happy reading!
Hi! Thank you so much for visiting Divine Creative Love. I’m a Jesus-lovin’ girl, lettering artist, designer, and general creative-at-heart. And, I have narcolepsy. I blog about faith in God, overcoming challenges, and creative topics such as Bible journaling. If you’re new here, be sure and subscribe to my list so you won’t miss anything!