A Quote that Shaped and Directed John Eldredge's Life

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." (Gil Bailie)

This quote is found on p. 200 in my copy of Wild At Heart--John's most widely read book to date. This concept seems to me to dwell at the core of the message that the Ransomed Heart team is offering to the Body of Christ. They have personally experienced and observed far and wide the problem of nice and dutiful, but weary, depressed and bored, believers that populate the churches of our culture. And...I really appreciate their effort to address this spiritual malaise.

One of John's main prescriptions for this malady is a challenge to us to look more deeply into our redeemed hearts and uncover, discover and rediscover the unique desires that God has encoded in us. Then we must expose, face, resist and overcome the enemy who has so often succeeded at cutting us off from living out of this wellspring of heart-passion by lying to us and enticing us to agree with his lies. This, he basically says, is what has given rise to the epidemic of spiritual boredom and the impotent forms and expressions of spirituality to which it leads.

I have been intrigued and stirred by these ideas over the last few years. I'm sure that there are people who could easily twist (and have already twisted) the intended meaning of such thoughts into various counterfeit applications to their lives. But, I certainly believe that the world's needs do not dictate our specific call--there are far too many for any one person to respond to. I also believe that Jesus has come to give us abundant life--from the inside out.

One final thought: I do know that many the of things that have really made me "come alive" in my journey with Jesus have surprised me--they have often been attended by significant sacrifices, turmoil, risk and even suffering. I have also experienced pursuing things that I thought would bring me life, but which miserably failed to do so. The question that Bailie poses seems to have depths to it that we must not underestimate as we search out the answers for our personal spiritual direction. In getting to know the Ransomed Heart team members a bit in recent days, I believe that they would concur.