Spiritual Growth Journaling Can Show You What God is Teaching You

Journaling, once it has become a habit and has been explored as a unique aspect and part of a person's life, has the capacity to dramatically deepen our understanding of the way that God works in our lives. When journaling, our minds are able to grasp the events and information that life throws at us more fully, and gives us time to reflect on all that has been going on in our dense little heads.

Very often we, as busy, stressed out, and short-sided people, have difficulty understanding the fact that God is working in our lives. As we walk into work with bed-head hair and an over-abundance of insecurities, we question how the things that happen to us could possibly be the will of God, and struggle to grasp any area where God is growing us when He feels so far away.

For those of us who know the Lord, however, He is not far away, and we see over and over again in Scripture the lives and words of people who cried out, wondering where God was in all of their suffering and confusion, God was in their midst all along.

What we need in those moments is the ability to see what it is that God is doing in our lives. Journaling affords that opportunity by giving the ability to process onto paper the current state of life we find ourselves in, and to see it represented alongside all of the other events of our lives.

Understanding is all about connection, and journaling helps our brains to draw connections between the million points of data that we receive in a given day. A scientist can run tests all day long, but in the end it is only when he sees the data represented on a chart or in a report that he is able to look on and have that moment of serendipity that comes from understanding what all of the data means and how he should change his process to match.

It is the same with God's working in our lives. The events that transpire over a given day, week, month, or year all amount to points of data that, if left unrecorded and unquantified, leave us feeling overwhelmed, asking questions like, "where is God in all of this?" and "is God doing anything in my life?"

The process of sanctification is difficult and long, and is hard to measure outside of personal life experiences. It looks different for each person, and therefore it is important for a person to keep a record of their attitudes, actions, and atmospheres so that they can see clearly where they have come from and where they are going.

Tips for journaling to understand the working of God in your life:

Don't record everything when journaling. Some things just aren't that important. What you had for breakfast? Inconsequential. Who you met for breakfast and how it impacted your thinking? Important. Evaluate the things that you put in your journal so as not to overload it with meaningless facts and pointless diatribes. If you don't have something to write, don't force it.

Don't read too much into things. There are many things that happen over the course of our lives that don't have great significance, and trying to give them significance will only confuse you, and can get in the way of you clearly understanding your life. Keep it simple. As you are journaling, focus in on the things that really impacted you...not on whether or not you made it to your favorite place for lunch.

Don't expect all the answers. God holds back...a lot. Many times, the mystery of what He is doing in us is one of the biggest parts in the growth He has for us. It takes faith to move through major life events to the point where we can look back and finally understand them, and faith is a muscle that many of us do not like to exercise. Journaling does not provide all the answers, but it does help us to ask the right questions.

Give it time. As with any habit, journaling takes time to develop, and anything good is worth waiting for. Today my most treasured possessions are my journals, because they show me where I have come from, and give me hope in where He is taking me. Give yourself time to get into the habit of journaling, and let it take its course unimpeded.

For more of this series, please read:

• Journaling 101: A Record of Where We've Come From
• Journaling 101: A Place to Process Life, God, People, and the World
• Journaling 101: An Outlet For Prayer
• Journaling 101: An Easy Outlet For Self-Evaluation

Also, please check out the Spiritual Growth Home on Mentorship