Foreword to More
More is one of those unique books coming at just the right time, with just the right message and written to everyday folks. You will be inspired and convicted to action. You will see your personal calling in a new light.
Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly.” We can have life and have it more abundantly. Some translations of Jesus’ words use “life to the full” or “to the fullest measure.” Unfortunately, too many people pursue abundance in all the wrong ways, year after year, only to find emptiness.
What would happen in our generation if Christians were to rise up and show the world what it looks like to have the fullness of Jesus in them? What would it look like for that fullness to overflow into the world as love in action? What if we were to truly embrace the truth that God’s unique personal calling is his gift for equipping us to play our part in his mission in the world?
I (Rick Warren) have walked with Todd Wilson and been part of his team at Exponential for several years. He cares deeply about Jesus and the church. He is a student and lifelong learner. His passion for living for God’s glory and helping others do the same is genuine. I’m proud of how he has used the gifts God gave him and I encourage you to learn from his experience.
In More, my friend Todd provides a fresh framework for helping others discover and engage their personal calling. With the creativity of an artist, the insights of an engineer, and the experience of a lifetime learner, Todd explains the idea of God’s personal calling for each of our lives.
Todd reminds us that while each of us has a unique calling, we also share a common calling that unites us in a common mission. Specifically, we are all called to be disciples of Jesus who make disciples. We are called to BE like Christ, DO good works, and GO wherever he sends us.
More challenges us to fulfill God’s calling instead of pursuing our own personal fulfillment. It is only in giving our lives away that we find the meaning of our lives. Significance does not come from status or salary or even sex. It comes from serving. Todd is a great example of someone who has made the transition from simply pursuing a career to fulfilling a calling.
I (Dr. Coleman) am honored to have played a part in Todd’s journey and the writing of More. When you spend time with Todd, you can’t help but see his passion for the Kingdom of God and his heart for multiplication. He is a strategic futurist who naturally sees and understands the importance and power of a fully devoted follower of Jesus released on mission.
Todd is giving his life to modeling what it looks like to live in your unique sweet spot of personal calling, and to equip others to do the same. He is not a theorist with good ideas. Instead he is a practioner with lots of experience in the trenches.
Many books have been written on discipleship. Many books have also been written on calling. More finds the unique intersection of both. It brings the truth of personal calling to life through the lens of discipleship, which brings joy to my soul. I’m encouraged by the impact this book will have in advancing the conversation about discipleship and in mobilizing the latent capacity of calling to action within the Body of Christ.
We don’t have to reinvent Jesus’ ways. We simply need to rediscover them and put them into practice. That is exactly what Todd helps us do with the idea of personal calling.
Jesus started His movement in the most humble and non-conventional of ways. He didn’t start with a tagline, a clever business model, political clout, or a massive platform of influence. He started with ordinary people called to extraordinary things. He started with disciples called to make disciples wherever they were.
The ripple of that common calling extends to us today. He’s still calling all of us to be His hands and His feet. He’s still calling us to be His voice.
Our prayer is that you’ll read these words and find your deepest purpose in life. That as ordinary folks we will once again rise up to simply become disciples. And in that title we’ll find everything God has created us to be.
God is calling. And when you answer, this world will never be the same.
Pastor Rick Warren Dr. Robert Coleman