The Journey of Desire: Searching for the Life We Only Dreamed of (Hardcover)

by John Eldredge (Author) "There is a secret set within each of our hearts..." (more)
Key Phrases: The Divine Conspiracy, Old Soul, Sacred Romance (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Christian lecturer and counselor John Eldredge follows up his bestselling Sacred Romance with The Journey of Desire: Searching for the Life We Always Dreamed Of, a book whose very title evokes hope and possibility. The first half of Journey of Desire argues that Christians have forsaken their heart's desire due to the failures and sorrows of life. This is tragic, Eldredge insists, because "absolutely nothing of human greatness is ever accomplished without it." A rousing call to search for the life you've only dreamed of ensues. The question naturally arises as to the "wayward" desire that lies within us, and how it is to be controlled let alone differentiated from our true desires. While the answer isn't clear, the second half of the book focuses on what Christians have to look forward to in heaven--what they are to set their hope upon. Each chapter begins with insightful literary quotes and aptly applied modern song lyrics pertaining to the upcoming text. While the contents could fuel many a theological debate, Eldredge does inspire one to consider what lies in the recesses of his heart, and for Christians hopefully it is a primarily desire for God alone. --Jill Heatherly

Product Description

Sometimes it seems we just can't get what we want. Circumstances thwart our best-laid plans. We struggle to live a heartfelt life. Worst of all, says Eldredge, the modern church mistakenly teaches its people to kill desire (calling it sin) and replace it with duty or obligation (calling it sanctification). As a result, at best Christians tend to live safe, boring lives of resignation. At worst, their desire eventually breaks out in destructive ways such as substance abuse, affairs, and pornography addictions. In The Journey of Desire, Eldredge invites readers to rediscover God-given desire and to search again for the life they once dreamed of.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 228 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (March 8, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785268820
• ISBN-13: 978-0785268826
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #216,794 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great journey, November 13, 2003

By	C. Stephans "www.craigstephans.wordpress.com" - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Journey of Desire: Searching for the Life We've Only Dreamed of (Paperback)

While meeting with a friend at Barnes and Noble, I shared with him a recent experience I had that caused me considerable disappointment and grief. After listening to my story, he disappeared for a few minutes, and when he returned he set a book on the table and told me I had to read it. The book was The Journey of Desire by John Elderidge.

I took my friend's word for it and read the book. He was right! I did need to read the book. I do not recall ever reading a book that seemed to speak directly to me as this one did. If prior to his writing this book, I had sat down with Elderidge and shared specific details of my life with him, I do not think he could have written a book that speaks to me more than The Journey of Desire does.

In The Journey of Desire, Elderidge delves into the mystery of redemptive life in a fallen world. He speaks to the disappointment and disillusionment that Christians experience as we try to live the life we desire and have known only in our dreams. He writes, "We all know the dilemma of desire, how awful it feels to open our hearts to joy only to have grief come in. They go together. We know that. What we don't know is what to do with it, how to live in this world with desire so deep in us and disappointment lurking behind every corner."(23)

Elderidge teaches the reader to examine his or her heart and to discern whether there is still hunger and thirst for the heart's desires or whether grief and disappointment have caused apathy and complacence. The book works to resurrect the God-inspired heart's desires that we all possess.

Elderidge reminds us that the greatest enemy to holiness is not passion but apathy. He wants to help us direct our passions toward God and away from the many temptations in the world that serve to anesthetize and pervert our desires rather than fulfill them.

One of the biggest lessons that Elderidge expounds upon is that no matter how hard we try to find life in the things of this world we cannot. We cannot create or design the perfect life that satisfies all of our heart's desires. Elderidge writes that we must receive that abundant life from God.

The journey of desire is also the battle of desire. The battle is to guard our hearts, to keep our passions alive and pure, and to focus our desires on the Creator. Elderidge counsels us to remember that we are eternal people. Jesus went away to prepare a place for us. It is not here, and we must refrain from trying to create our place here rather than being eternally-minded.

The book teaches that some Christians may have retreated from seeking, asking and knocking for the fulfillment of desires; instead, they are suppressing, numbing and distorting desires in a futile attempt to live without pain, grief or disappointment. The path Elderidge suggests we take is one of trust. Elderidge encourages us to trust God enough to faithfully ask him to clarify, intensify, and satisfy our heart's desires.

Elderidge emphasizes the true nature of our eternal relationship with Jesus. He writes that it is a love affair; it is a romance that will find its fulfillment only when we find our fulfillment in paradise.

Because I believe that much of what is true for me is true to some extent for most if not all Christians, I can sincerely say to you that I believe you need to read this book.

Craig Stephans, author of Shakespeare On Spirituality: Life-Changing Wisdom from Shakespeare's Plays

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Devotional Work!, June 30, 2002

By	David R. Bess (Charleston, WV) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I have now read all three of the books in the Sacred Romance series. The last two volumes authored by John Eldridge are far superior to the first volume co-authored with the late Brent Curtis. It appears God has used the painful, tragic death of a close friend to make a much better writer of John Eldridge.

This work is not so much about desire for life in itself, but rather about the lack of desire for life and the regaining of it. Eldridge speaks of a passion for living, and how multitudes of Christians have lost it by settling for little or no passion at all. The author takes the reader through a literary journey to recapture the deepest desire of one's heart, which is ultimately nothing less than a love relationship with God himself.

I enthusiastically recommend this book and the third book in the Sacred Romance series, "Wild at Heart." The author is Scriptural, spiritual, and sound theologically. Your devotional life will be greatly enhanced as a result of reading them.

49 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Monumental Book, June 5, 2000

By	C. Michael Johnson (Charles City, Virginia) - See all my reviews

From reading the publisher's review above (I wonder if they even read this book) one would have no idea how paradigm-busting this book is. The author takes off on themes that remind me of John Piper's Future Grace, but in my estimation the implications and potential for life change goes way beyond it.

The author quotes Gerald May, "There is a desire within each of us, in the deep center of ourselves that we call heart. We were born with it, it is never completely satisfied, and it never dies. We are often unaware of it, but it is always awake... Our true identity, our reason for being, is to be found in this desire."

Power to move us, to sustain us, is found in the well of our own desire.

From the flyleaf: "The modern church often teaches people to kill desire and call that sanctification. The author writes, "Christianity is not an invitation to become a moral person. It is not a program for getting us in line or for reforming society... at its core, Christianity begins with an invitation to desire."

He shows that there are only three options for dealing with our desire: (I'm paraphrasing) 1) distract it, 2) Deaden it, 3) Get to know it. The world shouts to distract, sadly most often the Church works to deaden it. Wholeness is found in embracing our desires as God given, and with it, the pain of unfulfilled dreams.

Through this book, I personally experienced a sort of death and resurrection. Death to what John calls "arranging for our life" and a new life of rest and adventure, now exploring my deep desires as a journey into the heart of God without distraction. While Journey of Desire is absolutely mind-blowing it is also very readable. This is a powerful little book!