Journaling

Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth.

1 Chronicles 16:12

Jim Elliot was an intensely committed missionary who was killed in 1956 by the Ecuadorian Indians he was trying to reach. Indians were not his only challenge: “My devotional reading pattern was broken. I have never restored it. . . . Prayer as a single man was difficult. . . . 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.”

Jim Elliot was a godly young missionary who struggled with spiritual disciplines like every believer. But unlike most, he kept a written record of spiritual defeats as well as victories in his journal. Keeping a journal can help us remember God’s works, retain our honesty, reflect on our hearts, register our progress, regain lost momentum, reject bad habits, reinforce good habits, and reach our spiritual goals. What other discipline offers such benefits? Consider making a journal your personal place to be honest with God and yourself. You, and perhaps others, will benefit from your faithfulness.

A journal is a record of a journey, a written account of your travels on the road to heaven.