He starts out making a distinction between being Driven versus being Called. The former is in the patterns of meeting demands of the ego and society, while the latter meeting a far more quiet invitation to partake in life with a sense of personal decrease, and a God-increase.
The rest of the book addresses me, the disorganized person, who has poorly managed time, usually being dragged by dominant people and while often relying on talent, dismisses the discipline of personal development.
There are useful insights and strategies to maximize one's effectives in whatever one is doing: Like knowing your own rhythm and not fighting against it but to learn to work with it. Having a fixed criteria on how to budget your time and to do it far in advance (one of my greatest weaknesses I must say). To keep up the intellectual agility by actively engaging in Christian thinking. To learn to appreciate God's creation. (To read messages that God has coded into nature). To train the mind to research information for the sake of serving people of the public world. Many of the points sound familiar, it is a good title for Christian formation. MacDonald encourages readers to become good listeners, to grow by becoming accustomed to read, to keep up with disciplined study. The last few chapters touch on the centrality of God in the process of getting ordered. To take time alone and to go to God, to learn to listen to God. Keeping a journal for example (an account of things that were accomplished throughout the day, prayer topics, insights from Bible reading and other materials, and details about their children and their milestones). Worship and rest, how they are related. This is how he finishes out the book. First edition copyrighted 1984, it is a classic. Already 33 years in print! Wow. I might put it up there with M. Scott Peck's "The Road Less Traveled." To the תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ - Let there be Light.
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