I am somewhat of a coffee junkie. I have a couple of cups every day and am always looking for new blends and roasters to try. When the opportunity to read Be You. Do Good. by a coffee businessman (Jonathan Golden) came up, I did not hesitate. While I had heard of Land of A Thousand Hills Coffee Company, I have grown to love this roaster. I have yet to enjoy a cup of their coffee, but if it is as rich as this book by their founder, I have no doubt it will be quite exquisite.
In Christianity, people are often to think that God’s will is going to be revealed in a grandiose way and be the only thing an individual can do their entire life. Golden rejects that notion. Instead, he generously weaves a more integrated view of calling. Rather than waiting in a cave for years for God to reveal your calling, he encourages you to take a look back at your life and the inklings God has given. Most likely our callings will not be a radical shift from what we did yesterday or the day before but rather nudges inviting us into a greater story along the way.
As a result of our calling being nudged in directions, there is also the understanding that this calling may change throughout our lives. Rather than it being about one specific thing, that one thing may be for a season until the next thing comes along. This is a freeing view of calling because even if you sense that you got it wrong for a few years, God is still not finished with you and can still use you as He sees fit.
Really what Golden is challenging us to do is to strive to live our lives for God wherever. You should strive to be you and to do good however that may look. While this book reads more like a memoir, there are plenty of thought-provoking quotes and remarks to get your mind churning. The one thing I would like to have seen more is how Golden has used his influence for the Gospel. It seems as if the mention of the Gospel has been avoided in the book and I had hoped for more of that from him. Will it stop me from recommending the book? No. Will it stop me from seeking out what Golden describes as the best coffee and Land of a Thousand Hills? No.
Watch a short video overview of www.BeYouDoGood.com. The Be You. Do Good initiative from Jonathan D. Golden. “Be You. Do Good: Having the Guts to Pursue What Makes You Come Alive”
Official Book Description
Almost anyone you ask would say that they want to do work that matters. Yet many people do not feel like they are actively making a difference in the world. Others may feel a sense of calling but lack either the courage or the supportive community to carry it out. But if God created each of us on purpose, for a purpose, we should be ordering our lives around that purpose.
Jonathan D. Golden, founder of Land of a Thousand Hills coffee company, has discovered and is living out his unique calling to promote social, spiritual, and economic justice while providing a living wage to 2,500 farmers in Rwanda. Now he reveals to readers how to identify their calling, dispels the myths and misunderstandings we often have about what constitutes a calling, and challenges them to pursue that calling with a courage that can surmount the many obstacles that may lie in their path. He also shows readers how to cultivate a community of support that will help them fulfill their calling.
For anyone who is dissatisfied with the work they are doing, just entering the workforce, or wondering what more is out there, this book reveals how to embrace the meaningful life they were meant to live.
Learn More at Baker Books and GoodReads.
