A spiritual rhythm that could give your leadership reflection and insight

Eric Daniel March 20, 2024

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Journaling can be transformative for everyone.

Journaling may seem like an additional burden on a list of already overwhelming responsibilities. For years, it was hard for me to engage in the practice on a regular basis. I struggled to write anything inspirational. Then I discovered two words which forever empowered me to write: Reflection and insight.

Since that discovery, journaling has been a transformative journey, offering a structured path for reflection on the past and insights into the present. In this article, I hope to make journaling a little more attainable for the person who previously gave up on it.

Reflection: Looking back

One of the benefits of journaling is its capacity to serve as a mirror. In the reflective process, leaders can look back, assessing their actions, decisions, and the overarching trajectory of life and ministry. This backward gaze is not intended to foster guilt or dwell on shortcomings, but rather to gain insights (see more below).

Reflection provides a panoramic view of the leader's day. Church leaders can analyze past challenges and triumphs, discern decision-making patterns, and identify areas for growth. It is a moment to celebrate victories and acknowledge defeats, understanding that each experience contributes to one's development.

A spiritual leader must be self-aware. Reflection enables the leader to recognize their strengths and weaknesses, both at home and at the office. It becomes a tool for refining: parenting, leadership styles, communication, and a personal culture of continuous improvement.

Reflection is simple; begin by answering the question: "What happened yesterday?" It will feel mechanical, perhaps even boring. In answering this known question, you will begin to answer the unknown ones.

Insight: Looking into the present and beyond

While reflection anchors us in the past, the practice of insightful journaling propels us into a better future. It serves as a visionary tool, prompting leaders to contemplate the direction of their life and ministry. It is an opportunity to seek divine wisdom for the journey today.

Journaling provides a sacred space for leaders to articulate their aspirations and dreams. This intentional act of defining a vision is a cornerstone of effective leadership.

Beginning with reflection leans into the normal way that each of us processes information and events. Once we identify something to reflect upon, that automatically creates an opportunity for us to feel, analyze, and respond to it. Capturing this moment of insight, by journaling, is paramount. My wife has said it to me this way, "You must name it, to tame it."

Time spent in reflection gives the Holy Spirit room to speak and engage the leader in a dynamic dialogue. Spiritual leaders need these moments of insight – divine revelation. It will help you to start with the mechanical work of reflecting, because it will move you to the more spiritual work of insight and inspiration.

To begin experiencing moments of insight, answer the following questions:

· "How do I feel about these events that happened yesterday?"

· "Why do I feel this way about each event and how could they be different?"

· "Holy Spirit, would you please show me how to honor God in these situations?"

Just try it

I am struck by the consistent practice of journal keeping among many of the great leaders in history. Their biographies reveal journaling as a once very familiar activity, like calendaring or keeping a notebook.

I believe the idea of journaling became complicated through the evolution of psychology. An underlying pressure to find and share deep hidden secrets convoluted its simplicity. Myself and many others have found freedom in journaling by simply laying the day out before the Lord. He will reveal if any mysteries exist. Nothing is hidden from His view.

Journaling offers leaders the space to learn from the past, shape the present, and envision the future. The reflective component fosters humility, self-awareness, and a commitment to growth. Simultaneously, the insightful aspect fuels vision, purpose, and spiritual wisdom. The practice of journaling became life-giving when I embraced reflection and insight; it can for you too!

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Eric Daniel is passionate about empowering others to grow in their Spiritual Leadership. He founded Global Ministry Advance in 2023, a coaching organization, for the purpose of assisting ministers, missionaries and Christian organizations in the development of goals and strategies for greater health. Eric became Senior Pastor of Hillside Church in Napa, CA in 2002, and also serves as an Executive Presbyter for the Northern California and Nevada District Council of the Assemblies of God. Learn More »

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• Self-leadership: the foundational skill every leader needs to build a thriving culture (by Jenni Catron)

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