--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be with God is really to be involved…" description: "\"To be with God is really to be involved in some enormous, overwhelming desire, and joy, and power which you cannot control, which controls you.\" — Jame..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/james-a-baldwin-2080_desire_to-be-with-god-is-really-to-be-involved_1422408.jpg" --- # To be with God is really to be involved in some enormous… ![“To be with God is really to be involved in some enormous, overwhelming desire, and joy, and power which you cannot control, which controls you.” quote by James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/james-a-baldwin-2080_desire_to-be-with-god-is-really-to-be-involved_1422408.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/james-a-baldwin-2080_desire_to-be-with-god-is-really-to-be-involved_1422408.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/james-a-baldwin-2080_desire_to-be-with-god-is-really-to-be-involved_1422408.jpg) > “To be with God is really to be involved in some enormous, overwhelming desire, and joy, and power which you cannot control, which controls you.” [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being close to the divine involves surrendering to an overwhelming, uncontrollable force that both empowers and directs you. **In simple terms:** Divine connection is powerful and uncontrollable. Key Takeaway Accept the mystery and let it guide you. Themes spirituality power control divine humility Mood contemplative reverent Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - prayer - meditation - creative inspiration - life decisions Key Concepts Mysticism theology human yearning Questions to Reflect On - What does surrender mean to you? - How do you balance control and faith? A Different Perspective Relying on external forces may reduce personal agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Desire Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire-joy-2862408/) [Enormous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enormous/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [God is real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-is-real/) [God Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-really/) [Involved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/involved/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Overwhelming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overwhelming/) [Overwhelming desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overwhelming-desire/) [Really Involved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-involved-548738/) ## Related quotes > [She had an overwhelming desire to tell him, like the most banal of women. Don't let me go, hold me tight, make me your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/she-had-an-overwhelming-desire-to-tell-him-like-the-most-banal-of/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [But what's true about comedians is that we've all got a huge hole in our personality. In a room of 3,000 people, we're the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carr/but-what-s-true-about-comedians-is-that-we-ve-all-got-a-huge-hole-in/) [Jimmy Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carr/) > [God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant and the cat. He has no real style, He just goes on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/god-is-really-only-another-artist-he-invented-the-giraffe-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [“Many Christians, including BioLogos, like to throw out the "you can't take the Bible literally" argument. 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I thank God for the trials and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-is-really-opening-up-my-eyes-as-i-live-and-prosper-on-i-learn-so/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephantand the cat. He has no real style, He just goes on trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/god-is-really-only-another-artist-he-invented-the-giraffe-the-3/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [I am waiting for them to prove that God is really American.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-ferlinghetti/i-am-waiting-for-them-to-prove-that-god-is-really-american/) [Lawrence Ferlinghetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-ferlinghetti/) > [“Is God really real?”This is a perennial question for the philosophy of religion. Fortunately, the Pythons have answers to it. Perhaps too many answers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-a-reisch/is-god-really-real-this-is-a-perennial-question-for-the-philosophy-of/) [George A. Reisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-a-reisch/) > [God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant, and the cat. He has no real style. He just keeps on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/god-is-really-only-another-artist-he-invented-the-giraffe-the-2/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [“Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, expresses it this way: “To desire my joy is to desire the joy of the one I desire: my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-hill/rowan-williams-archbishop-of-canterbury-expresses-it-this-way-to/) [Wesley Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-hill/) ## More by James A. Baldwin > [One cannot deny the humanity of another without diminishing one's own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/one-cannot-deny-the-humanity-of-another-without-diminishing-one-s-own/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [All I know about music is that not many people ever really hear it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/all-i-know-about-music-is-that-not-many-people-ever-really-hear-it/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [I've always believed that you can think positive just as well as you can think negative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/i-ve-always-believed-that-you-can-think-positive-just-as-well-as-you/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [The white man discovered the Cross by way of the Bible, but the black man discovered the Bible by way of the Cross.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/the-white-man-discovered-the-cross-by-way-of-the-bible-but-the-black/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [The American ideal of sexuality appears to be rooted in the American ideal of masculinity. This idea has created cowboys and Indians, good guys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/the-american-ideal-of-sexuality-appears-to-be-rooted-in-the-american/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [Voyagers discover that the world can never be larger than the person that is in the world; but it is impossible to foresee this,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/voyagers-discover-that-the-world-can-never-be-larger-than-the-person/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [We take our shape, it is true, within and against that cage of reality bequeathed us at our birth; and yet it is precisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/we-take-our-shape-it-is-true-within-and-against-that-cage-of-reality/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [The American ideal is, after all, that everyone should be as much alike as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/the-american-ideal-is-after-all-that-everyone-should-be-as-much-alike/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [James Joyce is right about history being a nightmare-- but it may be that nightmare from which no one can awaken. People are trapped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/james-joyce-is-right-about-history-being-a-nightmare-but-it-may-be/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [I think Americans are terrified of feeling anything. I never met a people more infantile in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/i-think-americans-are-terrified-of-feeling-anything-i-never-met-a/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [Unless a writer is extremely old when he dies, in which case he has probably become a neglected institution, his death must always be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/unless-a-writer-is-extremely-old-when-he-dies-in-which-case-he-has/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [An identity is questioned only when it is menaced, as when the mighty begin to fall, or when the wretched begin to rise, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/an-identity-is-questioned-only-when-it-is-menaced-as-when-the-mighty/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [White people will have quite enough to do in learning how to accept and love themselves and each other, and when they have achieved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/white-people-will-have-quite-enough-to-do-in-learning-how-to-accept/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [A devotion to humanity is... too easily equated with a devotion to a Cause, and Causes, as we know, are notoriously bloodthirsty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/a-devotion-to-humanity-is-too-easily-equated-with-a-devotion-to-a/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [Most people... find a disorientating mismatch between the long-term nature of their liabilities and the increasingly short-term nature of their assets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/most-people-find-a-disorientating-mismatch-between-the-long-term/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) [Explore all 187 James A. Baldwin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) ## More Desire quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) [Ted Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/) > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [I want the municipality to be a helping hand to the man with a desire of sympathy, to help the fallen when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burns/i-want-the-municipality-to-be-a-helping-hand-to-the-man-with-a-desire/) [John Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burns/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“THE ESSENCE OF YOUR DESIRE IS A FEELING”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/the-essence-of-your-desire-is-a-feeling/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [On the brink of being satiated, desire still appears infinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/on-the-brink-of-being-satiated-desire-still-appears-infinite/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. 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He could smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lee/from-the-devil-you-know-she-wanted-him-too-he-could-see-it-in-the/) [Emery Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lee/) [Browse all 15,155 Desire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To be with God is really to be involved in some enormous, overwhelming desire, and joy, and power which you cannot control, which controls you.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James A. 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