Three Reasons Why You Should Keep a Journal

A couple of months ago I wrote a list of 7 Habits of Highly Effective Christians. Number six on the list was journaling.

But what makes journaling so important? Why should you keep a journal?

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Reason #1: A journal is a reminder of God’s faithfulness.

As much as we might try otherwise, we mere mortals are forgetful. We try to remember God’s work in our lives, but over time our memories fade.

And in moments of crisis, our minds especially draw blanks. All we can see is the mounting trials and tribulations. We forget how God has been faithful in the past in the midst of the problems of the present.

But if you had been journaling, it would have been easier to remember. This is one of the most important reasons you should journal. Journals are tangible reminders of what God has done. They are written testimonials of His faithfulness.

There is no better example of a faithfulness journal than the book of Psalms. We don’t think of Psalms as a journal, but that is exactly what it is. I love what David had to say about the importance of remembering God’s work in the middle of hard times: “And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.” Psalm 77:10-11

Reason #2: Journals are a chronicle of your spiritual journey.

I love reading my old journals. Not only is it encouraging to read back on how God has faithfully answered my prayers, but also how He has charted out my spiritual journey. My writings in the early days of my journaling are quite haphazard, but over the years I can see how I learned to pour my heart out to the Lord, how I dealt with various trials and tribulations, and how I have been growing in my spiritual walk.

David Brainerd left behind a collection of remarkable journals. This missionary revealed his heart in his journals and an untold number of people have found encouragement from his honesty, his trials, and his triumphs. I don’t agree with all of the doctrine in his journals, but it has been a blessing to read more about his heart for God and His people.

One amazing thing about his journals is that you can clearly chart his spiritual walk through the years. In the beginning the reader can easily identify with his baby steps along his Christian journey, his struggles with depression, and his familiar feelings of insufficiency. But by the end you see how he grew to great heights in his walk with the Lord. I’m sure Brainerd had no idea of how many people would be encouraged by the chronicle of his journey.

Reason #3: Journals are a legacy to those who come behind you.

Journals are not written just for your benefit. Your journal is a written legacy. What will it say of your life?

A journal often lives long past the lifespan of its writer. Consider the diaries of Anne Frank or the journals of Lewis and Clark. Much of what we know about history came from someone’s personal journal.

Yet journals should be about much more than a historical legacy. They should be about a spiritual legacy. One man who left such a legacy was Jim Elliot. Long before his final mission to the Auca Indians in Ecuador, he started keeping a journal. Because of his journal, the man who challenged us that “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose” continues to live on.

These are just three reasons why you should start keeping a journal. Don’t wait to write your memoirs. Start writing your legacy now.

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