GOSPEL DELTA

Blogging: A New Spiritual Discipline?

// April 15th, 2009 // Uncategorized

I believe that for this new generation of Christians, blogging has become a new spiritual discipline. By most experts of biblical spirituality, journaling is a spiritual discipline that Christians have practiced for hundreds of years. Take for example, the fact that a huge portion of the Old Testament book of Nehemiah is the personal journal of a man whom God called to rebuild a city. And many of the Psalms are great examples of journal entries. In my opinion, blogging is the 21st-century form of journaling…E-journaling, if you will. There are some obvious differences, like the potential for an immediate audience, whereas regular journaling would only be read by others after the journaler had passed away. But for many, blogging is simply a new medium for the same essential task: devotionally recording the journey of faith.

John and Abraham Piper at Desiring God Ministries have some helpful thoughts on the purpose and value of blogging, especially for those that are pastors:

• 6 Reasons Pastors Should Blog – Abraham Piper

• What would you say to a pastor who is considering blogging? – John Piper

• Does having a blog affect your ministry? – John Piper

In his book Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Life, Donald Whitney writes this:

[where the word "journal" is used, read "blog"]

“That there is a crying need for the recovery of the devotional life cannot be denied.  If anything characterizes modern Protestantism, it is the absence of spiritual disciplines or spiritual exercises.  Yet such disciplines form the core of the life of devotion.  It is not an exaggeration to state that this is the lost dimension in modern Protestantism.  One of the seldom-practiced but very valuable Spiritual Disciplines is journaling.  Though not commanded in Scripture, God has blessed its use since Biblical times.  Journaling is one way to express the pursuit of Christlikeness commanded in 1 Timothy 4:7:  ‘Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.’”

WHAT IS A JOURNAL?

A journal is a book in which a person may keep a variety of things, including a record of the works and ways of God in his life, of daily events, of personal relationships, of insights into Scripture, of prayer requests, of his feelings about and responses to these things, and the interpretation of all these from his own spiritual perspective.  The Bible itself contains many examples of God-inspired journals.  Many Psalms are records of David’s personal spiritual journey with the Lord.  The journal of Jeremiah’s feelings about the fall of Jerusalem we call Lamentations.  A journal not only promotes spiritual growth by means of its own virtues but it’s also a valuable aid to the other Spiritual Disciplines as well.

THE VALUE OF JOURNALING

1. It helps in self-understanding and evaluation (Rom. 12:3)
2. It helps in meditating on the Lord and His Word (Josh. 1:8; Ps. 1:1-3)
3. It helps in expressing one’s deepest thoughts and feelings to the Lord (Ps. 62:8b)
4. It helps in remembering the works of the Lord (Ps. 77:11-12)
5. It helps in creating and preserving a spiritual heritage (Deut. 6:4-7; 2 Tim. 1:5)
6. It helps in clarifying and articulating insights and impressions (1 Pet. 3:15)
7. It helps in monitoring goals and priorities (Phil. 3:12-16)
8. It helps in maintaining the other spiritual disciplines (1 Tim. 4:7)