I recently took up journaling, again. Journaling is a pretty popular spiritual discipline among Christian Leaders (and among many Christians). I’ve flirted with journaling a number of times and it’s something I would do every day for 3 or 4 weeks, then a couple times a week for 3 or 4 weeks, then a couple times a month for a 2 or 3 months; and then I would stop altogether.
What motivated me to start anew? Mike Singletary. That’s right, Mike Singletary the Hall of Fame linebacker of the Chicago Bears and the current head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. I’ve read several articles, as of late, about Mike Singletary’s faith and his personal discipline—and how he always keeps a journal with him to record everything that he feels he needs to record. He’s done it for years and believes that the discipline has helped him become a stronger leader and a better man. And it’s not just spiritual musings he records, but experiences, advice, thoughts, ideas and dreams; even conversations he has with his children.
So I’m journaling again; not so much as a spiritual discipline but as a personal discipline.
In fact, I’m a bit turned off to journaling as a spiritual discipline because it’s been made a test of faith and religion when the Bible offers nothing in regards to journaling as a spiritual discipline. In fact, I can’t remember one passage of Scripture where spirituality is equated with journaling; nor can I remember one Biblical character who journaled (unless you consider the Wisdom Literature ancient journals).
No, “Religion that God our Father accepts and pure and faultless,” is not to journal and join an accountability group, but “to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world,” (James 1:27). And the chief-end of man is not to develop spiritual disciplines but to “fear God and obey His commands,” (Ecclesiastes 12:13); and we will be known, not by our spiritual activities but “by our fruit,” (Matthew 20:7). And the “blessed man” is not the one who journals but the one who “delights in the Law of the Lord and meditates upon it day and night,” (Psalm 1:2).
Are spiritual disciplines fruitful? Absolutely. Do I participate in spiritual disciplines? You bet. Are they a test of devotion and spirituality? Absolutely not. Are they an aide to devotion? At their very best, yes. But at their worst they are empty acts of religious behavior that pander to the ego and prevent one from discovering true religion.
