Using journaling to learn to grow

Jesus expected His disciples to learn from Him. If you are not intentionally being formed by Him, you are being formed by something else -the culture that surrounds you:

• Adverts to want things;

• Social media to compare yourself to others;

• News to be fearful and anxious.

Learning to be like Jesus is something you must be deliberate about. It isn’t just going to happen.

Journaling may help. Forming a habit of regularly and deliberately stopping to tell God where you’re at. You don’t need to be a writer, you just need to get into the routine of jotting down your thoughts about God during your day.

It could involve pens, paper and doodles, but it doesn’t have to. It’s what suits you best. What is important, is setting aside a time each day to invite God into everything that has happened so far and ask for His help going forward.

Jesus was not immune from being shaped by the world. He was not immune from hardship and anxiety and others’ opinions. But you can see Jesus regularly taking time out to talk with God.

In the gospels, Jesus deliberately pulls himself away from everything else – no matter how inconvenient – to pour out his heart to God (Psalm 62:8). If you’re learning to be more like Him, you’ll need to establish this habit too and journaling will help focus your mind.

Here are some tips on how to establish your journaling habit.

1. Find a time and stick with it. Easier said than done but creating rhythms in your busy life is crucial if you want to grow.

2. Remove distractions. This could be your phone but it may be thinking about work or watching TV. If it’s going to distract you then get away from it.

3. Use a springboard. Launching into time with God is hard work. Read a psalm or jot down some things to say thank you first to help focus on who He is and what He’s done.

4. Be honest. You may find this raw and painful. Your journal could be an outpouring of your heart but you don’t need to show anyone else. It is part of the process God can use to transform you to be more like Him. Forming a habit of regularly and deliberately stopping to tell God where you’re at. 

You don’t need to be a writer, you just need to get into the routine of jotting down your thoughts about God during your day. 

Why not start your journal today?