The Importance of Writing Things Down

We previously talked about reading the Bible on a regular basis (with tips here and how to stop spiritual cramming here).  In this post, I’d like to take that a step further and share about the importance of writing things down.  It’s a good idea to keep a journal or notebook for taking notes during our quiet times and even during church.  For a lot of people, they know writing things down is helpful and that it’s probably a good idea (much like reading the Bible on a regular basis), but they still neglect to do it merely for the hassle or inconvenience of it.  I’d like to discuss why the benefits of writing things down might outweigh the disadvantages of it.

Writing things down helps the information sink in…

Writing things down takes listening and reading a step further.  The simple act of writing forces us to think about what it is that we are hearing or reading and then reiterating that or abbreviating that onto paper.  When we take notes it helps us to recall the information later.  How many times have you written a list only to find out that you didn’t even have to refer to it?  But try not writing that same list, and chances are that you will forget many of the items.  It’s almost a catch-22.  The process of writing things down will help you to remember what it is that you’ve written.  Skip the notes and potentially forget—with an added disadvantage of having nothing to refer back to if you’ve forgotten.  Which brings me to the next benefit…

Writing things down gives you something to reference…

Overall, the purpose of taking notes is to key in on the important information that we need to remember and to use as a future reference.  We need to write things down to remember—even for those with a good memory.  Look at what the following scriptures say about writing things down and remembering…

“…the Lord instructed Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder…” Exodus 17:14 (NLT)

“This says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write all the words that I have spoken to you in a book.” Jeremiah 30:2 (AMP)

“Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced” Psalm 105:5 (NIV)

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” Psalm 103:2 (ESV)

If we are being told to “remember” and “forget not”, then apparently it is possible to forget.  Writing things down will serve as a reference for those things that we may have forgotten.

I’ve also heard it said that writing things down can also give the Holy Spirit something to work with—a reference of sorts.  In John 14:26 it says that the Holy Spirit will “remind” us.  Taking notes will act as a reference to which the Holy Spirit may even trigger us to go back and look.

“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” John 14:26 (NLT)

My own personal references

I have been reminded on SEVERAL occasions of notes I had taken on a sermon or even during my quiet times, and I’ve been thankful that I have had my journals and notebooks that I can refer back to revisit what it was that I had written down before.

Sometimes God will give us something now that we are going to need to use later.  He may be preparing us in advance for things that we are yet to face.  We may later have the thought, “I think I read a devotion or wrote down a verse about that not long ago.  I should go back and look at my notes.”  Those thoughts are often a reminder from the Holy Spirit.

Writing things down can be a resource for others…

Besides serving as a reference for us to use later, our notes may even be a beneficial resource for others at some point in the future.  Many of my notes have turned into classes, lectures, coaching tools, and even blog posts.  Some people have used their journals, notes, and letters as written testimonies that have been used to help countless people in their relationship with Jesus Christ.  One example is a book from Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light: The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta.

Another invaluable resource that countless people have used over the past couple of centuries is the commentary on the Bible by Matthew Henry, which is compiled from a collection of the vast amount of notes and writings which he had made on the Bible over the course of his ministry.

Additionally, had it not been for many being inspired by God to write down accounts, we would not have the Bible.  We never know what our notes may lead us or others to in the future! 

Writing things down can show you how much you’ve learned, how much you’ve grown, and how far you’ve come…

I still have the journals that I kept while in college (over 25 years ago—yikes!).  It’s kind of fun to go back through and look at them and see how far I’ve come since then.  Also, it’s a bit embarrassing to see how immature I was at times and funny to see what I considered “a big deal” back then.  It’s even more cool to see examples of God talking to me even though I didn’t know that’s what that was at the time.  Writing things down and keeping journals can show evidence of our growth. 

We can see how David did this too in the Bible.  David was the primary author of the majority of the Psalms.  The Psalms contain a combination of cries to God in times of despair, praise to God in times of awe and celebration, and confessions to God of sin along with pleadings for forgiveness.  There is a vast range of emotions recorded throughout the book of Psalms.

After having written down the events and the corresponding emotions and prayers that went with them, I’m positive David was able to look back over them and see how far he’d come and how much he had grown.  Others, throughout history all the way to present times, have been able to benefit from his notes and writings and by seeing his growth from boy to man, from despair to joy, and from sin to forgiveness and victory.  We can follow David’s example of writing things down in order to see our own transformations. 

Writing things down and keeping journals can show evidence of our growth. #writethingsdown

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Take Some Practical Steps—Decide to Start Writing Things Down:

• First, make up your mind that the benefits of writing things down outweigh the disadvantages of it. 

If you’re not convinced of this, it will be hard to make yourself take notes when it’s inconvenient.

• Next, make the decision to start writing things down, especially during your Bible reading times or quiet times.

Decide to do this even when it’s inconvenient, when you don’t really want to, or when you don’t see the immediate payoff.

• Then, go buy a small notebook or journal to start writing things down.

Keep it with your Bible or wherever you do your quiet times.  I actually have 2 separate journals: One for my quiet times and one for sermon notes.  I usually write my journal starting and ending dates on the cover or front page—this is helpful later if you have several.  What a cool thing to pass down to your kids and grandkids someday too!

• Also, consider sharing your notes and/or journals with others that may benefit from the same things that you’ve learned.

Sometimes I’ll even make it a point to talk to my husband, Eric, or my kids about what I wrote down—“Hey, guess what I learned in my quiet time this morning…”  Or if they ask a question about something I previously wrote down, I’ll go grab my journal and show them.

• Finally, periodically go back and look through your notes and/or journals to see how far you’ve come and grown.

If you’re not currently in the practice of writing things down (specifically during quiet times and/or during church messages), I hope you’ve had a shift in your thinking about the importance and benefits of it.  In other posts, I’ll share more about some good strategies for what to write down and how to go about taking effective notes.

What benefits do you think you (and possibly even others) gain from taking notes and writing things down? Tell us about it by leaving a comment below.

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If you have benefited from this post or if you know anyone that could benefit from this, please pay it forward and share this post with them via the sharing links below! “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV) 

*Update: Originally posted 3/15/2016