Spiritual Disciplines – 13

Journaling

Text: Psalms 45:1  My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

Place Preached - (Mississauga International Baptist Church)

Date Preached - (02/01/04)

Introduction:   

Something about journaling this journey appeals to the adventuresome spirit of Christian growth.

Although the practice of journaling is not commanded in Scripture, it is modeled.  And God has blessed the use of journals since Bible times.

Explanation of journaling

A journal (a word is a lease synonymous with diary) is a book in which a person writes down various things.

As a Christian, your journal is a place to record the works and ways of God in your life including an account of daily advance, personal relationships, insights into Scripture, and a list of prayer requests.

In a journal you can chart your spiritual progress, you can also hold yourself accountable to certain specific spiritual goals.

Your journal will also be highlighted by your feelings and intimate reflections upon your circumstances and response to them.

It is like a graph that charts your personal and spiritual growth.

Bible examples:

Many of David Psalm's are records of his spiritual journey with the Lord.

How about the book of  Lamentations where Jeremiah records his feelings about the fall of Jerusalem.

Remember, the goal of becoming more like Jesus should be the main reason for beginning any spiritual discipline, including this one.

I. Value of Journaling

Using a journal not only promotes spiritual growth by means of its own virtues, but it's a valuable aid to many other aspects of the spiritual life as well.

1.  Help in self understanding and evaluation

Romans 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Journaling causes me to examine myself much more thoroughly than I would otherwise.

Quote: "Without knowledge of self there is no knowledge of God."-John Calvin

A journal tends to heighten our awareness and the level of sensitivity to our spiritual condition.

You will observe patterns in your life that cover months and even years.

Looking back, you will see yourself and events in your life more objectively.

ILLUS: In the summer of 2000 I went through some difficult circumstances, but since I journaled extensively at that time I can now look back and see how God worked in my life through those events.

You will see if you have grown or backslid in a particular area.

This is not to say that journaling is primarily for the purpose of self examination.  It would be a good idea in addition to your own reflections that you include daily and positive and practical step of action in your notes.

2.  Help in meditation

Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Meditation is difficult in the best of times in our fast-paced, media distracted society.

Illus: A New England men was convinced that nowhere in the world was fog any thicker than at his coastal home.  Once while proving his house, he claimed to be in the clouds so dense that he unknowingly continued on past the edge of the roof, "shingling off into the fog."

The discipline of writing down my meditations in my journal helps me to concentrate.

I then tend to listen more attentively to what God is saying to me through his word.

3.  Help in expressing thoughts and feelings to the Lord

There are some intimate thoughts and feelings that we cannot tell anyone apart from the Lord.

God is always available and willing to listen...

Psalm 62:88Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

A journal is a place where we can without reserve pour out the full range of our emotions before the Lord.  Everything from exhilaration to despondency.

Note the following examples from the direly of David Brainerd:

Lord's day, December 16, 1744.  "Was so overwhelmed with the dejection that I knew not how to live.  I longed for death exceedingly; my soul was sunk into deep waters and the floods were ready to drown me."

Lord's day, February 17, 1745.  "In the evening I felt composed and comfortable, though much tired.  I had some sweet sense of the Excellency and glory of God; and my soul rejoiced that he was " God over all, blessed forever";

4.  Help in remembering the Lord's works

Illus: many people think that God has not bless them with much until they have to move at all to a new address!

In the same way, we tend to forget God's answers to specific prayers, his timely provision, and his marvelous works in our lives.

Having a place to collect all these memories helps prevent their being forgotten.

Psalm 77:11-1211I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.12I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.

Someone once offered me the sage advice, " Ink it, don't think it!"

Quote: "If a man write little, he had need have a great memory."-Francis Bacon

A journal is one of the best ways to keep fresh in memory of the Lord's former benefits.

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.

2 Timothy 1:5  When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

Illus: I remember the many uncertainties I hand as a young church planter back in 1987.  During that time I would visit my grandparents on a weekly basis.  On one such occasion, my grandfather seeking to be in encouragement, wrote out a verse of Scripture for me on a 3 by 5 card.  I still have that card, and on it are the words of Isaiah 41:13.

Isaiah 41:13  For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

In times when I have been discouraged or in a special way needing God's guidance I have pulled out that card, and God has used that verse to restore my confidence in him.

How precious it would be if a more of grandpa’s walk with God were recorded for me any journal.

Psalm 102:18  This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD.

6.  Help in clarifying and articulating insights and impressions

Writing down the meditations of your quiet time will help those impressions to stay with you much longer.

Without journaling you might remember little of your devotional time by day's end.

As you develop the habit of consistently journaling the insights of your quiet time, you will find them ready for use in later conversation, counsel, and witnessing.

1 Peter 3:15  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

7.  Help in monitoring goals and priorities

In your journal entries you may want to include a list of goals and priorities, both long and short-term.

In fact, I would encourage you to include daily goals.  And the most meaningful of these is the practical application of Scripture.  Learn to be specific!!!

Long Term Goals - These are the things when done consistently over the long haul help you progress towards your goal of Christ likeness.

Look up and read Philippians 3:12-16

Illustration: George Whitfield's diary contains a list of criteria that he used each night as a basis of self-examination.

Have I,

1.  Been fervent in prayer?

2.  Used stated hours of prayer?

3.  Used ejaculatory  prayer each hour?

4.  After or before every deliberate conversation or action, considered how it might tend to God's glory?

5.  After any pleasure, immediately given thanks?

6.  Planned business for the day?

7.  Been simple and recollected in everything?

8.  Being zealous in undertaking and active in doing what good I could?

9.  Being meek, cheerful, affable in everything I said or did?

10.  Being proud, vain, unchaste, or enviable of others?

11.  Recollected in eating and drinking?  Thankful?  Temperate and sleep?

12.  Taken time for giving thanks according to (William) Law’s rules?

13.  Been diligent in studies?

14.  Thought or spoken on kindly of anyone?

15.  Confessed all sins?

We can do just like Edwards and Whitefield through our use of the spiritual discipline of journaling to maintain self accountability for our spiritual goals and priorities.

8.  Help in maintaining the other spiritual disciplines

In the journal we can record our progress with all the other spiritual disciplines.

Example: Scripture memorization.

Illustration: on November 20, 1955, less than two months before he was killed by Auca Indians in Ecuador, missionary Jim Elliott wrote,

" Also read parts of behind the ranges and am resolute to do something about it in my private devotional and prayer life.  In studying Spanish I left off English Bible reading, and my devotional reading pattern was broken.  I have never restored it.  Translation in preparation for daily Bible lessons is not sufficient to empower my soul.  Prayer as a single man was difficult, I remember, because my mind always reverted to Betty.  Now it's too hard to get out of bed in the morning.  I've made resolutions on this score before now but not followed them up.  Tomorrow it's to be - dressed by 6 a.m. and study in the epistle's before breakfast.  So help me, God."

II. Ways of Journaling

How is it done?  There is no one Right Way!  Your way of journaling will be as individual as you are.

There are forms, notebooks and a variety of helpful suggestions available, but in the end you will have to use what works best for you.

For me, what works best is a yellow legal pad or a blank sheet of paper prepunched for a three ring notebook.

You may prefer the journal pages that come with Christian mentoring or you may be like me, "just give me a blank sheet of paper!"

Nowadays you could even use a memo pad found in most PDAs.

Having the journal handy is also an issue.  If you keep it in a format that you can carry with you - you can record a sudden flash of inspiration as soon as it happens.

Try to stay consistent with the format you use.  That way it will be easy to archive your journal's by month or by year.

Discipline yourself to record something everyday.  On some days it may be only a line, while on other occasions one page may not be sufficient to record God's working in your life.

Conclusion:     (Review)

As with all the disciplines, journaling can be fruitful at any level of involvement with it.

It is profitable regardless of how well you think you write, compose, or spell.

Don't quit just because you've missed a few days, weeks or even months.

As with all the disciplines, journaling requires persistence through the dry times.

As you get started, you will find great enthusiasm for this discipline.  In time the novelty will wear off.

There will also be times when it seems there is nothing noteworthy to record.  That will happen, plan on it!  But also plan to be persistent!!

As with all the disciplines, you must start journaling before you can experience its value.

Many are intrigued by the discipline of journaling, many desire to begin and yet never do.  They never seem "to get a round to it".

Don't let such a rewarding and fulfilling discipline as journaling die on the altar of good intentions.