Any successful journey begins with a plan to help you stay focused and mark the path to take. As you map out your directions and listen for God and the Holy Spirit to help shape and redirect your journey, you will need a place to record your itinerary.
A journal is helpful because in the writing process, you get a chance to see your plan in a different light. It allows you to adjust, rethink and discern your plan before you act on each step. Journaling should not be time consuming or a chore. Think of journaling as writing “the gospel according to me.”
Ultimately, God’s plan is for disciples to do ministry in community. Jesus invites his disciples to be in relationship with God, other disciples and the community at large. The mystery of God’s plan is that the deeper our relationships with God, other disciples and the world grow, the more we are motivated to engage the world. You can’t do one without the other. Life as a disciple means being God’s hands and feet in the world. The activities of ministry are not mere projects created to keep disciples busy: We are engaged in ministry for the sake of the world.
This message was adapted from the free online downloadable resource “Lessons for Today’s Disciples” written by Valora K Starr. If you are reading “Daily Grace” online, sign up to receive it by email daily.