How do women navigate vocation and identity to embrace and use the gifts that God has given them?

Q, an organization which brings Christian leaders together to effect both personal and cultural renewal, hosted a conference entitled “Women and Calling,” to explore this question.

As one of the speakers, author and social commentator Rachel Held Evans emphasized that Proverbs 31 is not a set of rules for women to follow, but rather a call to celebrate godly and courageous women in a variety of vocations and circumstances. She said,

Being women of faith means being women of valor…it’s about affirming ways which women are faithful in a variety of vocations.

Author Kathy Khang encouraged women to follow their ambitions, reasoning that God gave each person the ability and motivation to pursue a unique purpose in his kingdom. She said,

We need to face our fears…we tell ourselves…don’t pursue those gifts and that calling that Jesus has for us.

At the same time, she cautioned against making career and ambition into a distraction. Recounting the story of Mary and Martha, Khang noted that Jesus was not calling Martha to stop working. Rather,

He’s saying, “what I’m calling you to first is to be a disciple and from there, your ambitions and intent will be clear.”

Author and speaker Shauna Niequist said,

Everybody benefits—everybody—when women use the gifts that God gave them. Every woman benefits when their passions come to life.

Evans, Khang, and Niequist emphasized that regardless of what women chose do to with their lives, they needed to find their gifts, talents, and callings as unique individuals rather than feeling pressured to do what others expected.

You can watch the full Q Cast on Women & Calling here. 

How do women apply this advice to their own lives? Leave your comments here.