Journaling……For the Purpose of Godliness
Every Friday morning, I do a Bible study with my mom-in-law and sister-in-law. We have been going through the book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney. Today, we talked about journaling, which was pretty cool, since I just decided to start this blog. I wanted to share some of what we talked about. Sorry it is so long, but I think it will encourage you.
Journaling is one of the best places for charting your progress in Spiritual Disciplines and for holding yourself accountable to the goal of becoming more like Jesus, which should be the main reason for everything we do.
The value of journaling:
1) Helps in Self-Understanding and Evaluation – John Calvin said: “without knowledge of self there is no knowledge of God.” Through the knowledge of ourselves and our condition, we are aroused to seek God. A journal can be the means by which the Holy Spirit shows us area of sin or weakness, the emptiness of a path we have chosen, insight into our motives, or other things that can transform the journal page into an alter of Seeking God. We might also be able to identify patterns in our life we haven’t seen before. The journal can be a mirror in the hands of the Holy Spirit in which He reveals His perspective on our attitudes, thoughts, words, and actions.
2) Help in Meditation – Meditation requires a concentration not often developed in our fast paced, media-distracted society. When we record in our journal our mediations on a passage of Scripture, we can follow more closely the still, small voice of God as He speaks through the text.
3) Help in Expressing Thoughts and Feelings to the Lord – A journal is a place where we can give expression to the fountain of our heart, where we can unreservedly pour out our passion before the Lord. By slowing us down and prompting us to think more deeply about God, journaling helps us feel more deeply (and biblically) about God.
4) Help in Remembering the Lords Works – By having a place to collect memories, like how God has answered prayer, made timely provision, and done marvelous things in our lives, we are less likely to forget them.
5) Help in Creating and Preserving a Spiritual Heritage – Journaling is an effective way of teaching the things of God to our children and transmitting our faith into the future. Psalm 102:18
6) Help in Clarifying and Articulating Insights and Impressions – According to Francis Bacon, reading makes a full man, dialogue a ready man, and writing an exact man. If we write down the meditations of our quiet times with the Lord, those impressions are likely to stay with us much longer. When insights from quiet times are clearly fixed in our minds through journaling, it helps us to have them ready to use in conversation, counseling, encouraging and witnessing. I Peter 3:15
7) Help in Monitoring Goals and Priorities – A journal is a good way to keep before us the things we want to do and emphasize. It can be a reminder of things we want to do as we press on towards the goal of Christ likeness. Phil 3:12-16
Help in Maintaining the Other Spiritual Disciplines – We can record progress with all the Spiritual Disciplines and hold ourselves accountable.
I LOVE THIS, IT KIND OF GOES ALONG WITH MY FIRST POST.
THE FLESH, OUR NATURAL INCLINATION TOWARD SIN, DOES NOT CONTRIBUTE TO OUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH, UNLESS WE LABOR TO PUT TO DEATH THE MISDEEDS OF THE BODY (ROMANS 8:13), OUR PROGRESS IN GODLINESS WILL BE VERY SLOW. UNLESS WE FIND PRACTICAL WAYS TO COOPERATE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AGAINST OUR CONGENITAL TENDENCY TOWARD SPIRITUAL SLOTH, WE WILL NOT BUILD OURSELVES UP IN THE FAITH (JUDE 20); WE WILL DRIFT TOWARD SPIRITUAL ENTROPY INSTEAD.
MAURICE ROBERTS SAID: “THERE WILL BE NO MARKED GROWTH IN CHRISTIAN HOLINESS IF WE DO NOT LABOR TO OVERCOME OUR NATURAL DISINCLINATION TOWARDS SECRET SPIRITUAL EXERCISES. OUR FOREFATHERS KEPT HONEST DIARIES WHERE THE SOUL’S BATTLES WERE RECORDED. THOMAS SHEPHERD, PILGRIM FATHER AND FOUNDER OF HARVARD, WROTE IN HIS PRIVATE PAPERS, “IT IS SOMETIMES SO WITH ME THAT I WILL RATHER DIE THAN PRAY.” SO IS IT WITH US ALL. BUT THIS HONESTY IS NOT COMMONPLACE. SUCH MEN CLIMBED HIGH ONLY AS THEY LABORED WITH SWEAT AND TEARS TO CULTIVATE THE SOUL. WE, TOO, MUST EXERCISE OURSELVES UNTO GODLINESS.” I TIMOTHY 4:7
Journaling can be fruitful at any level of involvement, whether we write well or poor, whether we write everyday or very little. It will help us grow in grace. We must remain persistent through dry times in order to enjoy long term benefits. Consider journaling, not only for “the purpose of godliness,” but also as a way to raise up a “monument of God’s faithfulness in your life.
Journaling is one of the best places for charting your progress in Spiritual Disciplines and for holding yourself accountable to the goal of becoming more like Jesus, which should be the main reason for everything we do.
The value of journaling:
1) Helps in Self-Understanding and Evaluation – John Calvin said: “without knowledge of self there is no knowledge of God.” Through the knowledge of ourselves and our condition, we are aroused to seek God. A journal can be the means by which the Holy Spirit shows us area of sin or weakness, the emptiness of a path we have chosen, insight into our motives, or other things that can transform the journal page into an alter of Seeking God. We might also be able to identify patterns in our life we haven’t seen before. The journal can be a mirror in the hands of the Holy Spirit in which He reveals His perspective on our attitudes, thoughts, words, and actions.
2) Help in Meditation – Meditation requires a concentration not often developed in our fast paced, media-distracted society. When we record in our journal our mediations on a passage of Scripture, we can follow more closely the still, small voice of God as He speaks through the text.
3) Help in Expressing Thoughts and Feelings to the Lord – A journal is a place where we can give expression to the fountain of our heart, where we can unreservedly pour out our passion before the Lord. By slowing us down and prompting us to think more deeply about God, journaling helps us feel more deeply (and biblically) about God.
4) Help in Remembering the Lords Works – By having a place to collect memories, like how God has answered prayer, made timely provision, and done marvelous things in our lives, we are less likely to forget them.
5) Help in Creating and Preserving a Spiritual Heritage – Journaling is an effective way of teaching the things of God to our children and transmitting our faith into the future. Psalm 102:18
6) Help in Clarifying and Articulating Insights and Impressions – According to Francis Bacon, reading makes a full man, dialogue a ready man, and writing an exact man. If we write down the meditations of our quiet times with the Lord, those impressions are likely to stay with us much longer. When insights from quiet times are clearly fixed in our minds through journaling, it helps us to have them ready to use in conversation, counseling, encouraging and witnessing. I Peter 3:15
7) Help in Monitoring Goals and Priorities – A journal is a good way to keep before us the things we want to do and emphasize. It can be a reminder of things we want to do as we press on towards the goal of Christ likeness. Phil 3:12-16
Help in Maintaining the Other Spiritual Disciplines – We can record progress with all the Spiritual Disciplines and hold ourselves accountable. I LOVE THIS, IT KIND OF GOES ALONG WITH MY FIRST POST.
THE FLESH, OUR NATURAL INCLINATION TOWARD SIN, DOES NOT CONTRIBUTE TO OUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH, UNLESS WE LABOR TO PUT TO DEATH THE MISDEEDS OF THE BODY (ROMANS 8:13), OUR PROGRESS IN GODLINESS WILL BE VERY SLOW. UNLESS WE FIND PRACTICAL WAYS TO COOPERATE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AGAINST OUR CONGENITAL TENDENCY TOWARD SPIRITUAL SLOTH, WE WILL NOT BUILD OURSELVES UP IN THE FAITH (JUDE 20); WE WILL DRIFT TOWARD SPIRITUAL ENTROPY INSTEAD.
MAURICE ROBERTS SAID: “THERE WILL BE NO MARKED GROWTH IN CHRISTIAN HOLINESS IF WE DO NOT LABOR TO OVERCOME OUR NATURAL DISINCLINATION TOWARDS SECRET SPIRITUAL EXERCISES. OUR FOREFATHERS KEPT HONEST DIARIES WHERE THE SOUL’S BATTLES WERE RECORDED. THOMAS SHEPHERD, PILGRIM FATHER AND FOUNDER OF HARVARD, WROTE IN HIS PRIVATE PAPERS, “IT IS SOMETIMES SO WITH ME THAT I WILL RATHER DIE THAN PRAY.” SO IS IT WITH US ALL. BUT THIS HONESTY IS NOT COMMONPLACE. SUCH MEN CLIMBED HIGH ONLY AS THEY LABORED WITH SWEAT AND TEARS TO CULTIVATE THE SOUL. WE, TOO, MUST EXERCISE OURSELVES UNTO GODLINESS.” I TIMOTHY 4:7
Journaling can be fruitful at any level of involvement, whether we write well or poor, whether we write everyday or very little. It will help us grow in grace. We must remain persistent through dry times in order to enjoy long term benefits. Consider journaling, not only for “the purpose of godliness,” but also as a way to raise up a “monument of God’s faithfulness in your life.
