Do you know something that I am good at? Grocery shopping. Now that may not be something that the common person notices, but I take pride in the little things. I should provide a caveat to my statement though, I am good at grocery shopping if I have a list. Now, if I walk in with no list and I am going off memory, I will show up with 4 unplanned boxes of cereal and no toilet paper. There is something that triggers in my mind when I write things down.
My grandfather was the same way, but his written information wasn’t a grocery list. It was his Bible. When he passed away my dad got my grandfather’s Bible. It was big, old, leather, and falling apart. I thought to myself what a cool heirloom. Then one day I opened it up. Not only were the pages worn and used, but the margins of many pages had handwritten notes in them.
There, on the pages of my grandfather’s Bible, were stories, questions, ideas, dreams, and revelations about God. I was able to read through my Grandfather’s journey of faith in his Bible. I never had the chance to ask him why this was his method of study, but I choose to believe it’s because he, much like me and much like all of us, knew that there is something different that takes place when we take thoughts from our heads and put them on paper.
Journaling Is Good for Your Mental and Spiritual Health
Did you know that studies have been done showing that Journaling can reduce levels of depression? What about the fact that there is more brain activity around memory when pen is put to paper? Journaling is proving to be a tool for much more than just a place to store content and jot ideas. It’s being proven to actually help people. So what if we could take the simple concept of journaling and pair it with our walk with Jesus? This isn’t anything new. People of the faith have journaled forever. Let’s take the next few moments and look at the benefits of practicing Journaling as a Spiritual Discipline.
When we look at the pages of scripture we can see many Biblical authors do one form or another of journaling. God actually gave Jeremiah a command to write down what He was about to hear in Jeremiah 30:2:
“The Lord of Israel says, ‘Write everything that I am about to tell you in a scroll.’”
Now hear me out, I can’t make the case that God calls us to journal. However, I can’t help but see the parallels drawn alongside many spiritual disciplines that overlap into journaling. Meditation, prayer, studying, solitude, worship, and confession are all spiritual disciplines that I personally have carried out through a journaling process. There is something special about putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) that brings a focus and intentionality that is hard to replicate in other areas.
Before we get too far down the road I want to look at a few things that I have learned journal is or should be, and a few things it should not be.
Journaling is Not
- A pros and cons list about opportunities, others or yourself. This is not a chance to weigh out the good and the bad of situations, people and yourself. A journaling practice of listing all the good and bad things in life, others or yourself will hurt much more than help. I practiced this form of journaling once where I was hurt with someone so I decided to write down all the ways they had hurt me, lied to me, and treated me poorly. Do you know what came out of that journaling practice? More hurt. I would go back to those pages once a week and read through the list and relive the moments of hurt. It was like never letting a wound heal. I finally ripped those pages from my journal and learned to forgive and move forward.
- A sermon. Journaling is meant for your own reflection. Can you take ideas and concepts from your time journaling and share them? Of course. But the goal is about your growth, not growing others.
- Self-help affirmations. This is not a chance to “dream” things into existence. You can and should dream with God on paper, but this is not a spiritual wish list to “Santa God” that He is supposed to fulfill.
Journaling is
- An opportunity for self-reflection. This is your chance to focus and write out about your day, your life, your growth, and your failings. Journaling can be like holding up a mirror and seeing something you never noticed before, with the difference of inviting God into the process to grow you. Take into consideration this quote from Professor Trevor Hudson:
“We don’t change from our experience, we change when we reflect on our experience.”
- A mental overlow of dreams, ideas, questions, and prayers. Some of my most raw moments with God are on the pages of a notebook. Many of my hopes and dreams for myself and my family are written out in a journal. Many of my hardest questions to God are written down on paper and tucked away on a bookshelf. There is something that happens when I take what I generally only say in my mind, and transfer it to something more permanent. It causes a shift in perspective.
- A form of worship and study. The Psalms are some of the most insightful worship songs known. How do we think they got to the pages of our Bible? They were the honest outpouring of the Psalmists’ hearts to God. When I share my heart in worship on paper, I can feel and see the emotions. When I transfer scripture to my journal, there is a deeper understanding of it for me because I am being intentional with every word and every letter.
- A way to remember your journey. Have you ever watched a suspenseful movie with someone and you already know how it ends? Getting to see the emotional journey play out for the other person is amazing. Journaling is can be an experience much like this. I love going back to past journals and seeing the wrestling moments I had in life now knowing how they ended and God answered prayers.
Types of Journaling to Try
I have seen and tried a few different methods of journaling. Some worked wonders and others were not my style. A few styles you try could be:
- Daily breakdown – This is simply writing out your day and commenting on each section of it. Being mindful to see where God was intertwined in each moment.
- Scripture – Simply writing out scripture. We are told to study God’s Word. What better way than writing it out? Start with the Psalms even and relive the worship of the Biblical authors.
- Prayer Journaling – You can begin writing your prayers. I love this one because I get to see what God is drawing out of me in different seasons of life and go back to see how He worked and answered those prayers.
- Questions – Write down the questions you have about faith, theology, religion, or yourself. These can be difficult to do, but if I ever doubt who I am or where I am in life, this can serve as a reminder of what God showed me to bring me to this point.
- Gratitude – This is a fun one because all you do is write out what areas of your life you are grateful for. Before you know it, you will have pages full of things from “my family” to “air conditioning”.
All I am asking if for you to grab a notebook and go. It may sound simple, but that’s because it is. Start. You may be surprised how easily the words flow off your fingertips. Each person will have their own style and way of doing it. Some of you may write out beautifully eloquent letters, and some may draw doodles or sketches to portray what’s in your heart. The point is to get started. Journaling can be so much more than just the written word. It can be another place where God can meet us where we are. Give it a shot and be surprised at how God uses something as simple as a pencil and a blank piece of paper in your spiritual walk.
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