In your journal, you can zoom out for a bird’s-eye view of your life to assess your trajectory. Examine yourself by working backwards and forwards through Ralph Waldo Emerson’s wise words, then pray and plan a response.
Sow a thought and you reap an action;
Sow an act and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit and you reap a character;
Sow a character and you reap a destiny.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
WORK BACKWARDS
Start by writing out your hoped-for destiny. Ask God to remind you of Bible verses you’ve read, wise words and stories you have heard and your own memories to guide your entry. Then work backwards in your journal considering,
- What character must I develop to reach this destiny?
- What habits must I cultivate to develop this character?
- What actions must I take to cultivate this habit?
- What thoughts must I choose to take these actions?
Example: If you hope to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Mt 25 or you want to “know the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Ps 27) as a destiny, you have to be a woman of godly character. To have godly character, you must have the habit of obedience to God’s precepts. To build the habit of obedience, you must choose right actions over and over. And every action begins with a thought. (2 Cor 10:5, Phil 4:8)
If you are like me, this exercise can catalyze healthy critical thinking about your choices. Maybe the Lord will lead you to daydream anew about your future. Maybe He will lead you to confess and repent. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as you write a plan and execute it.
WORK FORWARDS
Next, ask God to bring to mind a thought, good or bad, you often meditate on. God loves this humble question, so something will likely pop into your mind. Then move forward through Emerson’s quote considering,
- What actions naturally sprout from these thoughts?
- What habits naturally grow from these actions?
- What character naturally ripens from these habits?
- What destiny will I ultimately reap from this character?
Example: If you meditate on snappy comebacks to your spouse, you are more likely to speak them. Such talk will become a habit that invites bitterness into the character of your marriage. Sowing bitterness brings forth a destiny of hostility and loneliness. Whereby if you submit your thoughts to Christ and meditate on gentle communication, those thoughts will influence your speech. Then, your marriage will be marked by a character of tenderness. Thus, your destiny can be unity and peace. The same goes for relationships at work, school or church.
Through this exercise, God can encourage you to continue in thought patterns that glorify Him and nourish your heart and the hearts of those around you. Let Him show you the natural fruit of your Christlike thoughts.
Someone once told me, “You know, you don’t have to believe everything you think.” These were liberating words. I could measure my thoughts by God’s words and reject the wrong ones. Through the exercise, God can break off your sinful or painful thought patterns. Invite Him to convict you about judgmental, impure, self-centered, self-pitying, proud, guilty, weak or perfectionistic thoughts, among others. Then boldly move forward to confess and reject them. Work with the Holy Spirit to write out a new course.
Here are some guiding scripture that I recommend reading along with this guide: Galatians 6:7-9, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Philippians 4.8, Luke 6:45, Proverbs 4:23-27, Colossians 3:17, Romans 5:3-5, James 1:12-15, Joshua 1:7, Matthew 25:23, Psalm 27 and Psalm 63.
God wants to heal your hurts and restore your strength, even in ways you do not yet know you need. Use this exercise again and again to invite God to encourage and correct you along the way. As you align your ways with God’s ways from your thoughts to your destiny, He will bless you with a good harvest.
This guide was part of a Journaling Workshop taught for New Heights Church’s women’s ministry in July 2023.
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