--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The soul seeks God with its whole being…" description: "\"The soul seeks God with its whole being. Because it is desperate to be whole, the soul is God-smitten and God-crazy and God-obsessed. My mind may be ob..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/john-ortberg-932_appetite_the-soul-seeks-god-with-its-whole-being_1605857.png" --- # The soul seeks God with its whole being. Because it is… ![“The soul seeks God with its whole being. Because it is desperate to be whole, the soul is God-smitten and God-crazy and God-obsessed. My mind may be obsessed with idols; my will may be enslaved to habits; my body may be consumed with appetites. But my soul will never find rest until it rests in God.” quote by John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/john-ortberg-932_appetite_the-soul-seeks-god-with-its-whole-being_1605857.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/john-ortberg-932_appetite_the-soul-seeks-god-with-its-whole-being_1605857.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/john-ortberg-932_appetite_the-soul-seeks-god-with-its-whole-being_1605857.png) > “The soul seeks God with its whole being. Because it is desperate to be whole, the soul is God-smitten and God-crazy and God-obsessed. My mind may be obsessed with idols; my will may be enslaved to habits; my body may be consumed with appetites. But my soul will never find rest until it rests in God.” [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The soul longs for unity with the divine; all other pursuits are distractions until that spiritual rest is found. **In simple terms:** The soul needs God to feel complete. Key Takeaway Seek spiritual rest in God. Themes spirituality longing wholeness faith obsession Mood hopeful contemplative serene Type theological inspirational reflective When to use this quote - personal prayer - church community - meditative practice - reading sacred texts - seeking counsel Key Concepts theology human desire spiritual fulfillment Questions to Reflect On - What does “rest in God” look like for you? - How do you differentiate healthy devotion from obsession? A Different Perspective Human attachments can become idolatrous, hindering true spiritual peace. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appetite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appetite/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Crazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crazy/) [Desperate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desperate/) [God Obsessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-obsessed-2971314/) [God Smitten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-smitten-6115330/) [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Idols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idols/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Obsessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsessed/) [Smitten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smitten/) [Smitten God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smitten-god-6115331/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Soul Seeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul-seeks-4507252/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) ## Related quotes > [A person who is obsessed with Jesus knows that the best thing he can do is be faithful to his Savior in every aspect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-chan/a-person-who-is-obsessed-with-jesus-knows-that-the-best-thing-he-can/) [Francis Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-chan/) > [The soul seeks God by faith, not by the reasonings of the mind and labored efforts, but by the drawings of love; to which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-marie-bouvier-de-la-motte-guyon/the-soul-seeks-god-by-faith-not-by-the-reasonings-of-the-mind-and/) [Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Motte Guyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-marie-bouvier-de-la-motte-guyon/) > [“I am the escaped one. My soul seeks me/ through hills and valley/ I hope my soul/ never finds me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/i-am-the-escaped-one-my-soul-seeks-me-through-hills-and-valley-i-hope/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [No reason can be asked or given why the soul seeks beauty. Beauty, in its largest and profoundest sense, is one expression for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/no-reason-can-be-asked-or-given-why-the-soul-seeks-beauty-beauty-in/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I am the escaped one, After I was born They locked me up inside me But I left. My soul seeks me, Through hills…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/i-am-the-escaped-one-after-i-was-born-they-locked-me-up-inside-me-but/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [Let no man think to kill sin with few, easy, or gentle strokes. 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I thought maybe I wanted to go to law school or be a judge or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-jones/i-did-a-lot-of-theater-in-school-i-thought-maybe-i-wanted-to-go-to/) [Rashida Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-jones/) > [“There’s smitten and there’s smite.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-boruch/there-s-smitten-and-there-s-smite/) [Marianne Boruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-boruch/) > [Smitten as we are with the vision of social righteousness, a God indifferent to everything but adulation, and full of partiality for his individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/smitten-as-we-are-with-the-vision-of-social-righteousness-a-god/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [“Subject: Sundown Date: June 14 2011 09:35 To: Christian Grey Dear Completely & Utterly Smitten I love waking up with you, too. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-james/subject-sundown-date-june-14-2011-09-35-to-christian-grey-dear/) [E.L. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-james/) > [“And I hug her again. Because I just can’t stop touching this girl.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-mcginnis/and-i-hug-her-again-because-i-just-can-t-stop-touching-this-girl/) [Mindy McGinnis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-mcginnis/) > [“Love is a challenge with an illusion emanating an aura of otherness. Through their unrelenting attention, two smitten people can arouse a to and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/love-is-a-challenge-with-an-illusion-emanating-an-aura-of-otherness/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [Often actors ask me if I think they should go on trying to be an actor. I have the same answer for everyone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shurtleff/often-actors-ask-me-if-i-think-they-should-go-on-trying-to-be-an/) [Michael Shurtleff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shurtleff/) ## More by John Ortberg > [“What do we do in the dark night? We do nothing. We wait. We remember that we are not God. We hold on. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/what-do-we-do-in-the-dark-night-we-do-nothing-we-wait-we-remember/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [If we are serious about loving God, we must begin with people, all people. And especially we must learn to love those that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/if-we-are-serious-about-loving-god-we-must-begin-with-people-all/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [True repentance never leads to despair. Its leads home. It leads to grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/true-repentance-never-leads-to-despair-its-leads-home-it-leads-to/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [The greatest bloodbaths in the history of the human race were recorded in the twentieth century in countries that sought to eliminate God, worship,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/the-greatest-bloodbaths-in-the-history-of-the-human-race-were/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [There is no way for a human being to come to God that does not involve surrender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/there-is-no-way-for-a-human-being-to-come-to-god-that-does-not/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Will you keep going when you don't know why? When you can't get any answers that would make the pain go away, will you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/will-you-keep-going-when-you-don-t-know-why-when-you-can-t-get-any/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Death is the prerequisite to resurrection, the new life God intends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/death-is-the-prerequisite-to-resurrection-the-new-life-god-intends/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [From ancient times, the core idea of the soul is the soul is the capacity to integrate different functions into a single being or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/from-ancient-times-the-core-idea-of-the-soul-is-the-soul-is-the/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [“Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/hurry-is-the-great-enemy-of-spiritual-life-in-our-day-you-must/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [In reality, each thought we have carries with it a little spiritual power, a tug toward or away from God. No thought is purely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/in-reality-each-thought-we-have-carries-with-it-a-little-spiritual/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [The miracle of Sunday is that a dead man lives. The miracle of Saturday is that the eternal Son of God lies dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/the-miracle-of-sunday-is-that-a-dead-man-lives-the-miracle-of/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [“The most important thing about you,” Dallas would often say, “is not the things that you achieve; it is the person that you become.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/the-most-important-thing-about-you-dallas-would-often-say-is-not-the/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Jesus had a universal concern for those who suffered that transcended the rules of the ancient world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/jesus-had-a-universal-concern-for-those-who-suffered-that-transcended/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [God is a God of endless opportunities to do good; the God of the open door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/god-is-a-god-of-endless-opportunities-to-do-good-the-god-of-the-open/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [One of the most painful aspects of suffering is the loneliness of it. Others may offer support or empathy, but no one can walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/one-of-the-most-painful-aspects-of-suffering-is-the-loneliness-of-it/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) [Explore all 325 John Ortberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) ## More Appetite quotes > [I could not limit my values and pursuits to what makes others comfortable. Being possessed by a promise I live without options. I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/i-could-not-limit-my-values-and-pursuits-to-what-makes-others/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [the appetite for thinking must be regulated, as all sensible people know, for it may stifle one's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/the-appetite-for-thinking-must-be-regulated-as-all-sensible-people/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [“if you cannot control your hunger and appetite, good luck managing your blood chemistry, metabolism, waistline, and, in the bigger picture, the prospect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-perlmutter/if-you-cannot-control-your-hunger-and-appetite-good-luck-managing/) [David Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-perlmutter/) > [I don't think I've ever bench-pressed anything in my life. Until about two years ago I swam a mile almost every day. Then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-antosca/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-bench-pressed-anything-in-my-life-until-about/) [Nick Antosca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-antosca/) > [If I had been an Italian I am sure that I should have been whole-heartedly with you from the start to finish in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/if-i-had-been-an-italian-i-am-sure-that-i-should-have-been-whole/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [It could be my British need for discipline that makes me admire the American appetite for freedom and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/it-could-be-my-british-need-for-discipline-that-makes-me-admire-the/) [Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/) > [My curiosity and my appetite for evolving as an actor is one of the main components of me still working today in the business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-cattrall/my-curiosity-and-my-appetite-for-evolving-as-an-actor-is-one-of-the/) [Kim Cattrall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-cattrall/) > [I have a strong appetite and its not for food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-a-strong-appetite-and-its-not-for-food/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The plain fact is that education is itself a form of propaganda - a deliberate scheme to outfit the pupil, not with the capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-plain-fact-is-that-education-is-itself-a-form-of-propaganda-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You should also eat eggs. 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