I love looking back on my life, looking back at times of joy and hardship, and seeing how God has faithfully aligned my needs. One of the ways I document these seasons is through writing, whether it’s a personal diary or writing for others to see. Much of our life is lived at high speed, and if we don’t consciously pause and pause, we can take for granted our place in God’s plan for our lives.
If you’re like me, you wake up in the morning with a to-do list in hand, and then relax at the end of the day with plans for the next morning. This circular thinking can lead to feelings of complacency and exhaustion if you’re not careful. Do you find it difficult to sit in this moment and look around at what God is or has done and reflect on His faithfulness?
If so, here are four ways to help you reflect on God’s faithfulness throughout the seasons of your life.
1. Write it down
As I mentioned earlier, journaling is a way for me to enjoy looking back. As a writer, I admit that writing down the past three to six months’ worth of events can be a daunting task if you don’t keep up the pace. It feels more like writing a biography than sharing a reflective article. Be careful not to make your diary a bulleted list of facts. Sit down with your diary for a moment and think about what’s going on and where you were a year ago. Writing often allows you to make your entries smaller and more personal. I experience so-called “godwink moments” in my life when I feel God is speaking to me and nudging me to make certain decisions or choices. I love writing dates and notes in my diary. Doing so allows me to see how God sees me in my daily life, in moments when I feel like I’m about to forget, and it reminds me that I need to be more aware of these moments.
It is also amazing that God’s Word is written down so that we can know God’s faithfulness and read His promises to His children. I love how God uses letters to help people remember His rules and regulations, as seen in his interaction with Moses. “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write down all these instructions, for they represent the terms of the covenant that I will make with you and with Israel'” (Exodus 34:27). Throughout the New Testament we see God’s faithfulness and how each author listened to God’s voice and wrote to keep Jesus’ words in our hearts. This helps solidify how important writing things down is for us and our future selves.
2. Take a photo
In this age of technology, everyone can take photos, but if you’re like me, you have to consciously decide when not to take photos in order to enjoy the moment more. Although photographs take away the spontaneity of the moment, I think they are also great visual reminders of God’s faithfulness in certain events in our lives. I am so grateful to have photos of my holidays with loved ones, photos from my childhood, and photos of the beautiful landscapes and places I was lucky enough to visit during my holidays. I am grateful to have been able to visually record important milestones in my life. For example, when I self-published my first devotional, you better believe I captured a dream come true.
These photographic moments, whether staged or authentic, can provide a visual representation of God’s faithfulness, our growth, and our relationship with one another. Whether you publish that photo on social media or not, it still has the same power. I love looking at candid photos of myself as a teenager, long before the online world existed, and seeing how God has molded me into the woman I am today. Don’t neglect to capture special moments to remind your future self of God’s blessings.
3. Humility
Understanding how God has worked in our lives requires humbly acknowledging our eternal dependence on Him. There is too much pressure in this world to be independent, take credit for your successes, and put yourself first. Humility, by its famous definition, is not thinking less of yourself, but really thinking less of yourself. The Bible teaches us to be humble, as it says in Colossians 3:12. “Since God has chosen you to be his beloved and holy people, you must clothe yourselves with tender-hearted compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”
Humility makes us dependent on God’s faithful plan and purpose for our lives. Remembering that we need God more than He needs us helps us reflect more appreciatively on God’s faithfulness to us each day. We also recognize that each of us is weak and human, and that allows us to have more grace for each other because we are called to love each other regardless. If you are in a season of success, remember that a season of failure can be due to just one bad decision or coincidence. Success and failure can be terrifying when we rely on ourselves rather than God’s provision and faithful protection and guidance.
4. Daily conversation
In a relationship, if communication between two people decreases, the relationship naturally weakens and becomes less intimate and open. Think of the people you talk to most often and think about how free you feel when talking, asking questions, or just spending time together. Consistency is what helps keep memories of past times and conversations alive.
Keeping your prayer life toward God a top priority will help you reflect on God’s faithfulness to you. Regularly reading God’s Word will keep the Holy Spirit stirring within your soul and will increase your longing to talk and commune with God. Don’t be afraid to share your fears and hopes with God. God wants to talk to you, guide you, and remind you of His promises. It can be funny sometimes because God shows up for you in ways you never dreamed. And when you realize that, it’s like a spotlight shines on how much God cares for you and how faithful He is to His children. As David reminds us in Psalm 57:9-11, remembering God’s faithfulness in our lives and sharing it with others glorifies God’s name and glory to all. “Lord, we will praise you among the nations. We will sing of you among the nations. Great is your love, which reaches to the heavens. Your faithfulness to the heavens. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. May your glory be upon all the earth.”
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Ziga Plahutar
Mandy Smith started her blog ‘My Joyous Heart’ in 2011, began writing freelance in 2013 and is now the proud author of this blog. Almost there: A 30-day journey that puts tomorrow’s uncertainties ahead of today’s promises.. Mandy is single, currently works full-time as a speech therapist, and lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Communication in all its forms has always been a major part of Mandy’s life, both personally, professionally and spiritually. You can read more of her writing at: www.myjoyousheart.com and connect with her facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitterand YouTube.
