The NIV 365 Day Devotional

Charting Your Spiritual Growth

14 Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

2 Timothy 2:14-19

Do you chart your spiritual growth? One of the best tools for tracking your progress as a follower of Christ is a journal, a spiritual diary of sorts. If you’ve never kept a journal, do yourself a favor—begin one this week. How? You can buy a bound journal and a nice pen and write out your thoughts, or take time during a break in your work day and start a new file in your personal folders for this purpose, or you could even start a blog.

The best way to use a spiritual journal is in conjunction with your Bible study and prayer time. Make a note of the passage you’re studying, along with any truths or questions that strike you concerning the passage. Also list your prayer requests, the situations in your life that you want God to address. And don’t forget to list the answers to prayer you receive.

In time, you’ll be able to look back over your journal entries to see areas in which you’ve grown in your faith, as well as areas in which you still need to mature.

Taken from Rooted: The NIV Bible for Men.