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

" Sometimes it seems we 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 to 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." Review: Christian lecturer and counselor John Eldredge follow up his bestselling Sacred Romance with The Journey of Desire: Searching for the Life We Always Dreamed Of, a book whose title evokes hope and possibility. The first half of the 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 book's second half 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 primary desire for God alone. --Jill Heatherly