THE HABIT OF JOURNALING

In this week’s blog post, we are considering the habit or discipline of journaling. In past posts, we have considered Bible intake, prayer, worship, evangelism, serving, stewardship as it relates to both time and finances, fasting, and silence/solitude.

If you have not seen these posts yet, go ahead and click on the links to catch yourself up.

And remember that the primary motivation for these spiritual habits or disciplines is taken from Paul’s instruction to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:7, where he says, exercise or discipline yourself toward godliness. This applies to us just the same today and he makes it clear that, if we wish to be godly, it will take work, discipline, and exercise. Just as an athlete, musician, or artist must exercise disciplined practice to become more proficient at their chosen field, so a disciple must exercise disciplined practice in these activities as means’ of grace to become more proficient at being godly. That is to say, as we become more disciplined in the practice of these habits, more of God’s grace is available to us which will change us.

So what about journaling? Let’s begin with an explanation.

A journal is a place (physical or digital) in which a person records information important to him or her personally for the purpose of preservation and/or consideration. As a follower of Jesus your journal is a place to document the works and ways of God in your life. Your journal can also include an account of daily events, personal relationships, a notebook of insights into Scripture and/or a list of prayer requests and answers. A journal is one of the best places for tracking your progress in the other disciplines and for holding yourself accountable to your goals.

The words ‘spiritual journal’ can sound quite exclusive – something artsy types do, not normal everyday disciples. Or they can sound quite old-fashioned and not something for twenty first-century disciples. But both of these impressions are unhelpful! A spiritual journal is an ordinary, honest record of what is going on in your life, how you feel about it, and your awareness of where God is in it all.

It needn’t be in good English; it’s not being handed in for marking! It needn’t be written in a fancy book. You can do it – and there are good reasons why you should consider it.

Why Keep a Spiritual Journal?

A spiritual journal achieves three things: it is a record, which aids reflection and thus becomes a means of responding to God’s call to deepening discipleship.

•  Record

At base level a spiritual journal is like an ordinary diary. In it you record the main events of your life. You don’t write everything, just those things that have struck you as particularly significant in some way. One difference to a diary, though, is that in a spiritual journal you not only record what has happened, but also how you found yourself reacting to what has happened: your feelings, attitudes and heart-responses to daily events. The value is that it captures things that would otherwise just vanish in the busy-ness of life. It allows you to build a record of what’s going on so that you can reflect, over time, on your growth as a disciple.

• Reflect

The journal is ‘spiritual’ because its main purpose is to use the record of your day to help you think about where God was at work in the events of your life. You think about the record that you have written and reflect on questions such as: − How and when have I been aware of God today? − What has God been doing – both in my circumstances and in me? − Has God spoken to me today? How? − Has God felt absent today? Why might that be? − How have I responded and reacted to God today? This is not an exhaustive list, but if you are new to keeping a spiritual journal then it could serve as a temporary checklist to help you begin to reflect on your day in the light of God’s presence. If we really do “live and move and have our being” in God (Acts 17:28), then there is no part of our day that is out of bounds for such reflection!

• Respond

Your written record and reflection now helps you to respond to God in fresh and clearer ways. By writing down some of the events of your day they become clearer to you. They are now outside of you, on the page, and you can look at them and think about them from a different perspective. Over time you can also chart the movement in your spiritual life – or perhaps you can see places where you are particularly stuck. All of this is helpful because it allows you to respond to what you see. Our responses might take many forms. For example, we might: − give thanks to God for progress made − pray more deliberately for particular needs we have seen in us or in our world − take action to right wrongs − seek help with persistent problems − discern ways in which God is calling you to change or move on. You can write down your responses and these also become part of your spiritual journal.

How to Keep a Spiritual Journal

You can breathe a sigh of relief: there are no rules to keeping a spiritual journal! Find a system that works for you and be willing to adapt it as you go, so that it keeps working. If it enables you to record your day, reflect on God’s involvement and respond in some way then it is working! Having said that, here are a few thoughts to help you think through your own approach.

• Find the best format for you

Some people like to buy a special book to keep as their spiritual journal; others might use an old exercise book. Others may go straight for their laptop or iPad. One factor is portability; sometimes it’s good to go away and reflect on your journal, so don’t use a format that’s too big to take for a walk!

• Find the best rhythm for you

It doesn’t have to be daily; weekly could work well – but try to develop a rhythm. If it’s too random it could disappear from your radar altogether.

• Find the best time for you

Many like to end the day writing in their journal. There is a certain logic to that, and it allows your journal to naturally lead into prayer as you close your day. If you write your journal weekly, then how about making it part of keeping Sunday special?

• Find the best expression for you

If you are so inclined, and it helps you record, reflect or respond, then you could include: poems, drawings, songs, prayers or other forms of creative expression.

• Find the path to prayer

Try to develop the habit of your spiritual journal naturally leading you to pray about what you have written and reflected on.

One final thought: although the journal is a private document, it could help you develop this habit – and perhaps reflect on your journal entries – if you shared your ‘journal journey’ with a close spiritual friend. Keeping a spiritual journal in company with others allows you to learn from one another’s experience and to support one another in developing the practice.
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Do you currently have a spiritual journal? If so, please share how this has helped you in your spiritual growth and relationship with God? If you don’t have a spiritual journal, we hope that you have been encouraged to start one and we would love to hear all about it!