“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”
– 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Any time you are overwhelmed by a situation, or emotions get triggered, journaling is a great way to get all of those thoughts out of your head so you can process them more clearly. When we allow negative thoughts to swirl around in our heads, a bad experience can feel exponentially worse than it really is. Just the act of writing it all down often helps us put things in a better perspective.
Truth journaling takes journaling to a whole new level. It allows us to recognize the lies we sometimes tell ourselves – lies like “I’ll never be good enough” or “I can’t …” or “I have nothing valuable to offer” – and replace them with the truth. There are five simple steps to truth journaling.
5 Simple Steps
Start with a journal or notebook and a pen.
Write down what’s bothering you. Just write down the facts. Leave out the emotions and judgments to begin.
Write the emotions that come up for you around what’s bothering you. Just write two or three words to describe how you are feeling.
What beliefs do you have that are driving these feelings? Write down the beliefs you have that have led to the negative feelings you’re experiencing.
Take every thought captive. Number each thought you wrote down. Pause and ask God to give you “enlightened eyes” to see the truth about the situation. As you look at each statement, ask yourself, is it true from God’s perspective? Is it a half-truth? Or is it totally false? What does God’s Word say about it? Write down the truth from God’s Word.
Offer a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s truth!
Words Defined
Let’s define what we mean by each of the terms.
Fact: Something that actually happened, or exists or has existed before. Facts are real things.
Belief: An inner knowing that something is right or correct. Our beliefs are lodged in our hearts, but they may or may not be true. Even so, we tend to act on our beliefs.
Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things.”
Prov. 4:23-27 “Above all else, guard your hearts, for everything you do flows from it.”
Thought: An idea or notion in our minds. Thoughts are continuously flowing through our minds. Sometimes they are true and reasonable, sometimes they are not.
Emotion: Our feelings. Feelings develop from our thinking and what we believe about ourselves, others and situations (facts). The more we dwell on something, the stronger our feelings will become
Truth: Truth is unchanging reality. Facts can change. Feelings can change. Beliefs can change. But truth is universal and never changes. Jesus said He is “the Way, the Truth and the Life,” (John 14:6). He also said that when we know the truth, “the truth will set us free!” (John 8:32).
Example of Truth Journaling
Let’s look at an example of going through the process:
1. What’s bothering you? My work schedule makes it hard for me to have my quiet time in the morning.
2. What negative emotions are coming up about this? Anger, helplessness, frustration.
3. What are your beliefs that are causing your feelings?
I believe that I need to do my quiet time first thing in the morning.
I believe that I should be in charge of my time.
I believe that something always gets in the way when I try to do the right thing.
Stop! Ask God for wisdom --- that He will “enlighten your eyes” to see what is true.
4. Take every thought captive --- decide if the belief is true, partly true or false. Then write God’s truth about that belief.
“I believe I need to do my quiet time first thing in the morning.”
This is a preference, but not a real “need.” The important thing is that I meet with God every day.
“I believe that I should be in charge of my life.”
This is me wanting to control. And, there are parts of my life that I do have control over, but I work and have to abide by my work schedule. I think God wants to work with me on accepting authority in my life.
“I believe that something always gets in the way when I try to do the right thing.”
This is a partial truth. Satan doesn’t want it to be easy for me to have a quiet time or grow closer to God. But I need to remember that this is a battle --- not against flesh and blood, but against the evil one and all his schemes! I’m in God’s army! He has all of the power to win this war! I am not going to let Satan win! No matter what obstacles he puts in front of me, I’m going to carve out time with God!
5. Now, praise God for all the Truth and strength He has given you!
Your Turn
What situation are you experiencing right now where emotions are bringing you down? Get out your journal and a pen and go through this process. See what a difference it can make for you. The more you do it, the easier it will be to recognize the lies and remember God’s Truth.
Try it and watch what a difference it can make in your life!