You Have a Calling: Vocation, Work, and the Myths We Believe | Karen Swallow Prior

In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Dan Johnson sits down with author and scholar Karen Swallow Prior to explore one of the most pressing questions of our time: What is my calling? Drawing from her new book, You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful, Karen unpacks the difference between calling, vocation, work, and career—and why confusing them can leave us anxious, disillusioned, or stuck.

Together they address common myths (like “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life”), examine how Scripture frames calling, and talk honestly about seasons of transition, feeling stuck, and how God uses ordinary faithfulness over time. Whether you’re a college student, mid‑career professional, or simply wondering what’s next, this conversation offers a hopeful and theologically rich path forward.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

· Defining terms: How Karen distinguishes calling, vocation, work, and career, and why clarity here can be freeing.

· Big cultural myths about calling: Why “follow your passion” and “do what you love and you’ll never work” set us up for disappointment.

· Biblical foundations of calling: Our primary calling to Christ, our multiple secondary callings (family, church, community, gifts), and how these fit together.

· Work before the fall: How Scripture presents work as part of God’s good design—and what it means to be co‑laborers with God in creation.

· Skills, passions, and reality: Why what you’re good at, what you love, and what pays the bills don’t always overlap—and how to live wisely in that tension.

· Mobility and rootedness: The opportunities and hidden costs of a mobile life and career, and what we gain by staying put.

· Feeling stuck in your calling: Practical guidance for Christians who feel trapped, misaligned, or unsure how their current work fits God’s purposes.

· The church and vocation: How local congregations can better affirm everyday callings—and avoid exploiting people’s desire to serve.

· Gen Z and discernment: Why endless options create anxiety, how social media amplifies pressure, and why Karen loves the phrase “touch grass.”

📚 Resources Mentioned

· Book: You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful by Karen Swallow Prior - https://bakerpublishinggroup.com/products/9781587436659_you-have-a-calling

· Previous The UpWords Podcast episode: Women in Evangelical Spaces: Challenges and Triumphs | Karen Swallow Prior - https://player.captivate.fm/episode/2418ca31-e989-4456-9ea3-02ce8eba375d/