I’ve recently read ‘The Call’ by Os Guinness, and I highly recommend it. Guinness has a remarkable ability to communicate profound truths in a very understandable and beautiful way.
Here are some of my favorite Guinness quotes.
“Calling is a ‘yes’ to God that carries a ‘no’ to the chaos of modern demands. Calling is the key to tracing the story line of our lives and unriddling the meaning of our existence in a chaotic world.”
Emphasizing the transformative power of responding to God’s call over worldly distractions, this quote captures Guinness’s central theme of purpose amid chaos.
“We are not primarily called to do something or go somewhere; we are called to Someone. We are not called first to special work but to God. The key to answering the call is to be devoted to no one and to nothing above God himself.”
This profound line shifts the focus from vocation or activity to relationship—underscoring devotion to God as the ultimate calling.
“Freedom is not the permission to do what you like. It’s the power to do what you ought.”
Guinness masterfully reframes freedom—not as license, but as responsible empowerment to do what’s right.
“I live before the audience of One—before others I have nothing to gain, nothing to lose, nothing to prove.”
A succinct, soulful declaration of living for divine approval alone. It reflects deep humility and singular devotion.