How a fictional archeologist ignited my interest in journaling.

God wants to do a deep, healing work in your life every day. To experience this work, we have to be willing to slow down, reflect, and remember. This is why I journal and hope you will too.

I’ve kept some version of a journal for almost as long as I can remember. When I reflect on where my earliest fascination with this practice came from, one man, in particular, is responsible. He was brilliant, brave, sarcastic, strong, and innovative. He was both an intellectual and an adventurer, just as comfortable in a library as he was in a fight. He embodied so much of what I wanted to be.

His name was…

Indiana Jones.

It all started the first time I saw “The Last Crusade.” At the center of the story is Henry Jones Sr.’s grail diary — a leather-bound journal filled with sketches, research, theories, leads, and ideas regarding the resting place of the long-lost Holy Grail. For the life of me, I can’t tell you why, as a nine-year-old boy, I was obsessed with this. Every time I watched the movie, which was often, I could almost smell the leather. I loved the way it had loose papers and fragments of who knows what hanging out of it. I loved that it was held together with a rubber band. I loved how beat-up it was, as if it had been through a lot.

My best guess as to why this image resonated with me so much, other than the fact that apparently, I’ve always been a nerd, is that I love the idea of life’s experiences being bound up and recorded in one place. As a result, I’ve kept a journal on and off since childhood. For a while, it was probably a typical teenage diary. As I got older, it became a place where I would write down the occasional prayer. But a few years ago, it became one of the three central spiritual practices in my life.

My journals have become the primary place where I capture what God is saying to me. It’s the space where I wrestle with Him and with myself. It’s where I process my fears, doubts, and uncertainties. My journal is where I’ve tried to make sense of my past, think carefully about my present, and dream about my future. It has untangled my thoughts and helped me make sense of my experiences.

In short, I journal to keep a record of my life with God.

The Scriptures are filled with instructions and imagery regarding the importance of writing down all God says and does. For instance, God told prophets like Jeremiah to “Write on a scroll all the words that I have spoken to you...” (Jeremiah 30:2). Moses wrote down “every single word of [God’s] law” (Deuteronomy 31:24). Consider the Psalms. More than any other book, the Psalms are prayers, songs, stories, and reflections, all written down so that they aren’t forgotten. Obviously, I don’t claim that my journal is the equivalent of Scripture. However, I have found it endlessly helpful to follow the example set by Scripture and keep a record of my life with God.

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to share some ways God has used my journal to better position me for a relationship with Him. To start, I want to highlight the two primary reasons I believe anyone can benefit from this practice.

Reflecting.

Socrates is famous for writing, 'The unexamined life is not worth living.' The Scriptures also echo the importance of living mindfully and paying attention to what we experience in life. Psalm 119:59 says, “I thought about my ways and turned my steps back to your decrees.” Proverbs 4:26 warns, “Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established.” In Haggai 1:5, God says, “Think carefully about your ways.” In 2 Corinthians 13:5, Paul writes, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do you not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless you fail the test.”

Each of these emphasizes the importance of investing time to reflect deeply on our lives. There may be no more effective tool for this than a journal. A journal invites us to slow down and think. We have to be present and attentive to the thoughts we’re recording. Thus, journaling is a powerful means of reflecting on our lives with God.

Remembering.

Hundreds of times in Scripture, God calls His people to “remember.” The reason should be obvious. As humans, we are prone to forget. We forget God’s nature, His promises, and His faithfulness. We forget how many dark days God has sustained us through. We forget how many times God has provided when things seemed bleak. We are all prone to forget, and journaling helps us remember.

Last summer, Tami and I had the privilege of taking a short trip to New York City. It was our first time there together, and we wanted to make the most of the few days we had. As a result, we were up with the sun, trekking our way all over the island of Manhattan until we physically couldn’t walk anymore. Thankfully, those three days were jam-packed with some of my favorite memories in our almost 20 years of marriage.

When we got back, I knew there was no way I would be able to remember everything we had done, all the sights we had seen, and all the laughs we shared. So, I grabbed my journal and wrote down every detail I could remember while it was all fresh in my mind. Now, all I have to do is open back to that page, and those memories come flooding back.

This is the power of journaling to remember.

Friend, I believe God wants to do a deep, healing work in your life every day. To experience this work, we have to be willing to slow down and reflect. This daily work is also worth remembering and reliving in our memories regularly. I’ve found no other means more effective for both of these practices than keeping a daily journal.

So, grab a notebook, a nice leather-bound journal, a tablet, or even your phone. Open a blank page, and let’s begin to record our life with God by reflecting on and remembering all He has done and is doing within us.

EXPERIENTIAL

Each week of this series, I will provide you with a different journal prompt to experiment with. The truth is, there are endless ways to journal effectively. The trick is finding the rhythm and method that works best for you. So, here’s your prompt for week 1:

Where have you seen God’s goodness toward you in the past 24 hours?

It could be something big or small – a smile from a stranger, the warm sun, or a cool breeze on your face. It might be a major provision or a miraculous healing. The size isn’t important. Just take a few moments and thank God for even one way you’ve seen His goodness in the past 24 hours. Tell Him what it was and how it made you feel.

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. For the Lord is good, and his faithful love endures forever; his faithfulness, through all generations." —Psalm 100:4-5 (CSB)