In praise of Journaling

I’m a committed “journalist” which means that I maintain a personal record in which I document “moments” of introspection and inspiration in a binding of blank sheets of paper. I wouldn’t call it a diary. This volume is focused exclusively on personal, spiritual expressions of desire, hope, anxiety, supplication, realizations, moments of clarity and epiphanies. Found there are many precious and enlightening insights particular to my struggles, triumphs, defeats, joys, disappointments and spiritual pursuits that – had I not written them down – would be forever lost in life’s halestorm of distractions.

At the beginning of my book, Fruition~Reflections on a life grafted-in, I emphasize the importance of recognizing moments of spiritual clarity and, “once discerned I further encourage that the experience be documented along the way. Such journaling can be revisited for inspiration and shared with others. Such notations serve as a source of encouragement and proof of the fruit of the true and living God in our lives. The world has a way of erasing our memory of moments of sublime spiritual consciousness and understanding. Written down over time, our personal encounters with eternity reveal the tapestry of our life that is unique and significant. Yet and in spite of its value, journaling is a habit that is hard to establish and rarely practiced among believers.”(pg. 2)

The words “Journal” and “Journey” share the same Latin root, “diurnal”, meaning; of the day. The word “Journey” refers to an act or instance of traveling from one place to another, something suggesting travel or passage from one place or condition to another. Perhaps the word originally referred to one day of travel. A “Journal” is a day-to-day record of transactions, an account of events, a record of experiences, ideas, or reflections kept regularly for private use; a deliberative record of transactions. In the exacting field of financial accounting journal maintenance is practiced down to the penny and with great diligence, pride and discipline. One has only to peruse the journal entries of any business to derive a precise account of activities and the direction in which that enterprise is headed. Should our own accounts of the back and forth relationship with the Almighty go on with any less accounting attentiveness?

So it’s safe to say that a Journal, in the context of a spiritual narrative of one’s life, is a record of the unique transactions between the one drawn and the Divine from day-to-day. Spiritual journals document the relationship. Furthermore, journal writings made in direct connection with devotional time are embellished by the Holy Spirit working through us to illuminate His personalized message of insight and encouragement to each of us.

“Journal writing is a voyage to the interior.” ~ Christina Baldwin

Why journal? Journals are compilations of contemplations – memorials to meditations. If actions speak louder than words, no act initiated by the inspiring power of the Holy Spirit ever came without first a thought or contemplation of the act. Journal writing can galvanize an individual into action. Donald S. Whitney, in his book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Navpress, Colorado Springs, 1991), writes about the power of journaling to instigate action with specific reference to the life of the martyred missionary Jim Elliot; “Missionary Jim Elliot used his now-famous journal to irrigate the practice of the disciplines in his life when the tide of zeal for them ran low.” Whitney draws from Elliot’s November 20, 1955 journal entry regarding Elliot’s departure from regular formal scripture reading as a part of his daily devotional. Elliot writes, “’ … Now it’s too hard to get out of bed in the morning. I have made resolutions on this score before now but not followed them up. Tomorrow it’s to be – dressed at 6:00 a.m. and study in the Epistles before breakfast. So help me, God.’” Whitney goes on to elaborate; “Apparently the desire to revitalize his devotional life had surged though Elliot’s mind and emotions many times before. Transferring that desire to paper, however, seemed to channel it like water into a turbine, so that what was once mere fluid desire began producing power.” (pp.216-217) Whitney also cites an old adage that “thoughts disentangle themselves when passed through the lips and cross the fingertips.” (pp. 213)

“While reading makes a full man, and dialogue a ready man, writing makes an exact man.” ~ Francis Bacon

The scriptures are silent on commands to journal but they are replete with references, inferences and endorsements to its value. Read First and Second Samuel and then read the Psalms of David to experience David’s private journal, of sorts, come alive with power. If the Canon of Scripture is the inspired word of God, then each authentic saint’s journal (epistle?...) contains words inspired by the indwelling Holy Spirit. The much referenced Jim Elliot quotation; “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” comes from his own hand printed notes on a piece of graph paper dated October 28 (1955?). Jim probably jotted that down after a morning devotional in the mountains of Ecuador mere months before his life was taken from him by the very Indians he was trying to reach with the Gospel. Is that quotation not the stuff of Proverbs?

And what is mediation without some record of the wisdom derived therefrom? Joshua 1:8 encourages us to meditate day and night. The Psalmist declares the blessedness of the man who delights in the law of the Lord and who meditates on it day and night (Psalm 1:1-2). Psalm 4:4 instructs us to meditate within your heart on your bed and be still. Psalm 119:15 declares “I will meditate on Your precepts and contemplate Your ways.” And who can forget Philippians 4:8, “Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, it there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.” Such things are the fodder of journaling.

If, as Hebrews 11:1 states, “…faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” then, I dare boldly paraphrase; journaling is the tangible substance of our meditations, the evidence of introspection and reflection.

There are many more inferences to journaling in the scriptures but let me end with this one; Psalm 90:12 “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Is not a spiritual journal a daily accounting worthy of diligence?

I can go on and on about what should find its way into a journal but let me say that a journal tells our story of progressive sanctification as we explore, discover and express our faith. Going from self-centered- anxious, restless, nervous, frenzied, being tossed to and fro, independent of God, unavailable, fearful, joyless and lost toward – all of the opposites of those – our journal records our petitions, prayers, declarations, failures, successes, pleas, thanks, heard whispers, realizations, inspirations, visions, dreams, temptations, brushes with eternal wisdom and moments of extraordinary clarity along the way.

“Journaling can bear fruit at any level of involvement, requires persistence through the dry times and must be engaged and practiced before its value can be perceived.” ~ Donald Whitney

Let me help you get started. Try a few “fill in the blank” sentences to personalize your contemplations like these;

1. The things that prevent me from having an authentic walk with God are:_________________ (e.g. temptations to which I surrender, bad habits, lack of good habits, attitude …).
2. When I _______, I sense God’s pleasure. (e.g. serve in ministry, pray earnestly, give sacrificially, compliment and build-up my children, am there for the widow next door, give of my time at the food kitchen …).
3. What bothers me about the world is _____. (world hunger, the multitudes of chronically ill people in the world due to contaminated drinking water, abandoned children, forgotten prisoners behind bars, victims of drug abuse, single Moms raising young men who have no proper father figure in their lives, homeless people …)
4. It occurs to me that ___ . (e.g. I whine a lot, I belong to a pretty good and supportive church even if some of the people in it get on my nerves at times, God has blessed me with many things that I simply take for granted, I have the resources to do more supporting worthy causes, I have a lot of spare time that I waste on worthless activities …)
5. I’m beginning to realize ______. (e.g. that I should start journaling ?? ….)

What bothers you? What occurs to you? What are you beginning to realize?

I suppose the most common question asked by believers in their private times with God is probably this, “What is Your plan for my life God? Please show me, reveal it to me! I can’t make sense of what is going on in my life and I need that peace of knowing Your plan.” For that we have Jeremiah 29:11; “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” But He doesn’t reveal all, He doesn’t tell us the plan. Rather, He reveals His plan to us day by day, situation by situation. And so we have our journals to remind us of the path we have traveled and we know that what is past is prologue.

All the best!

Bill