Recently, I had the honor of meeting one of my favorite authors, John Eldredge. You may know him from his runaway bestsellers such as, Wild at Heart, The Sacred Romance or Waking the Dead.
Author, counselor and teacher John Eldredge, president of Ransomed Heart ministries, is the real deal. He was present, interested in what I had to say, and sincerely warm and friendly.
While he has a new book coming out in 2020 (which I will write more about in coming weeks), it’s Eldredge’s first book (written with his friend, Brent Curtis) that captured my attention and changed me nearly two decades ago: The Sacred Romance: Drawing Close to the Heart of God.
I want to share some of his most profound and life-changing quotes. My hope is that they will resonate with you, make you think—and encourage you in your faith walk in profoundly positive ways.
Quotes from “The Sacred Romance” by John Eldredge
(Below, the John Eldredge quotes are in bold ,and my comments are in regular text.)
From childhood on, something or Someone has called us on a journey of the heart. It is a journey full of intimacy, adventure, beauty, and more than a little danger.
The Sacred Romance calls to us in our fondest memories, our greatest loves, our noblest achievements, even our deepest hurts. The reward is worth the risk. God Himself longs for us, if we are but willing…
Eldredge reminds us of God’s invitation to come—and find life and meaning and greater love.
You were made for something more.
God is drawing us to Himself. If only we would listen.
Sadly, many of us get busy with life and activities—even worthwhile things—and we never seem to have enough time to deepen our relationship with God.
We cannot hear this voice if we have lost touch with our heart.
Eldredge reminds us of our most important journey ever—a journey of redemption. A journey “into God’s heart, our true home.”
Our own stories and longings are interwoven with a wooing of God to draw us to Himself.
To hear his voice clearly.
To follow Him.
To rediscover who God really is—and how deeply and well He loves us. Accepts us. Forgives us. Cherishes us.
This journey is a quest toward God.
He [God] loved us before the beginning of time, has come for us, and now calls us to a journey toward him, with him…a journey of heroic proportions..a journey of the heart.
Our Story is written by God who is more than author, he is the romantic lead in our personal dramas. He created us for himself and now is moving heaven and earth to restore us to his side…he seeks to free our hearts from the attachments and addictions we’ve chosen.
Wow! That’s some kind of love.
There really is something wonderful that draws our heart; we are being wooed…
And we are faced with a decision.
Will we leave our small stories behind and venture forth to follow our Beloved into the Sacred Romance?
So, we take the journey to know God more and come closer to His heart. And we learn how he demonstrates that love for each of us, often in ways unexpected.
God is always romancing us through the simple daily things:
a sunrise,
the smell of coffee,
the perfect conditions for jogging,
sending us encouragers at the right time, all manner of things,
but Satan is trying to derail those efforts with lies like, you are worthless, you will never fit in, you have not got what it takes, you are an inconvenience, basically anything that makes you doubt God’s goodness to you, the same lie he used in Eden.
Of course, there has to be conflict (and I hate conflict).
But in stories and in real life, there are struggles and challenges that prevent us from getting where we want to be, things that hinder us in the journey.
The Accuser stepped in with a subtle, deadly stream of thoughts: “…Things will never change, God doesn’t care for your heart…This is who you really are: unlovely and unlovable.”
Thankfully, the story does not end there. The One who loves us most has defeated the Accuser, and is persistent in his pursuit of us—of you, of me.
…We are truly God’s Beloved, the Bride he is preparing to reveal in all her beauty before the courts of heaven.
And throughout the journey, we come to know God in a deeper and more profoundly closer way. And we are forever changed.
Transformed by love.
The Sacred Romance calls to us every moment of our lives…
invites us through the laughter of good friends,
reaches out to us through the touch of someone we love.
We’ve heard it in our favorite music,
sensed it at the birth of our first child,
been drawn to it while watching the shimmer of a sunset on the ocean.
Something calls to us through experiences like these and rouses an inconsolable longing deep within our heart, wakening in us a yearning for intimacy, beauty, and adventure.
This longing…fuels our search for meaning, for wholeness, for a sense of being truly alive.
And the voice that calls to us in this place is none other than the voice of God.
***
Resources
Power Prayers for Women by Jackie M. Johnson
Praying with Power When Life Gets Tough by Jackie M. Johnson
When Love Ends and the Ice Cream Carton Is Empty by Jackie M. Johnson
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