Published by Thomas Nelson on February 4, 2025
Genres: Non-Fiction, Christian Life
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Brittany Maher and Cassandra Speer, leaders of the online community Her True Worth, issue a liberating call to stop waiting for permission to pursue your God-given purpose and to step into your calling today with what you already have in hand.
Are you eager to walk in the calling and purpose God has for your life but are feeling uncertain? Maybe you're not sure if you're educated enough, or if it's the right time, or if you even have the authority to take a step forward. Perhaps you're at a standstill and are holding out for ideal conditions, or even an invitation, before you act.
In Ready As You Are, Brittany Maher and Cassandra Speer say it's time to stop waiting to live on mission. God wants to use you now, right where you are, with the tools you already have. In this book, they'll help you . . .
Discover that obedience is rarely about feeling prepared or confident but about doing scary things scared
Understand the difference between your macro purpose and your micro purpose
Explore four biblical ways to combat your natural trauma responses when the Enemy tries to sidetrack you
Recognize what you already have in your hand and what God can do when you offer that up to HimGod wants yielded vessels, not perfect ones with the just-right set of qualifications. If you desire to live a life of abundance and mission, Ready As You Are will help you walk forward in surrender and make much of your little. God will fill in the gaps, as you choose to believe that He is who He says He is and He does what He says He'll do.
This book encourages Christian women to forge ahead into their God-given callings, even when they are struggling with self-doubt or waiting for someone else to give them an invitation to use their gifts. The authors share biblical examples and encouragements for how God works through people who are obedient to Him, even when they feel unequipped for their callings. Brittany Maher and Cassandra Speer are passionate about helping women serve God with boldness right where they are, and throughout the book, Maher and Speer share honest and vulnerable stories about how their own journeys with this. They share practical advice and also warn against common pitfalls, such as perfectionism, spotlight-seeking, idleness, and yearning for something bigger instead of serving God where you are.
The authors root their core message and practical applications in the Bible, unpacking relevant teachings and exploring Bible stories that provide helpful examples of God’s work through imperfect, broken people. This sort of book can easily become fluffy and self-centered, but Ready As You Are keeps the focus on God and on how you can serve Him with your gifts, receiving His strength in the midst of your shortcomings. The authors’ hard-won wisdom and Christian perspective are refreshing in comparison to secular books about calling. For example, instead of just telling their readers to believe in themselves more, the authors take people’s limitations seriously, highlighting how God works through people’s weaknesses and struggles.
As with many other co-written books, I often struggled to keep track of which author was talking. They introduce themselves in parentheses when they switch off, but I found it difficult to remember which stories went with which author’s name. I appreciate their honest sharing about their own lives, but couldn’t keep up with which life experiences belonged to which woman. Also, even though this book covers a lot of foundational concepts very well, it tends to be very basic. People who have already explored the topic of Christian calling may not find anything new here, even though they can benefit from reminders of what they know to be true.
Ready As You Are: Discovering a Life of Abundance When You Feel Inadequate, Uncertain, and Disqualified is a great book for Christian women who want to discern or follow their calling, but who aren’t sure where to start. The authors’ personal honesty and robust biblical teaching will encourage and help many readers, and I would especially recommend this for young women and new believers. Also, since this book includes reflection questions at the end of each chapter, this can be a good fit for women’s ministry groups and people in mentoring relationships to read together.