a word for the year

 

I haven't talked much about new year resolutions here yet, because I am not really one who makes them anymore. I have nothing against setting goals and such, I just know that for me, when I do that, it seems like I'm setting myself up to fail. I know I am not alone in this. In previous years I've resolved to lose weight, read the Bible more, eat healthier, exercise more often—you get the gist. There is nothing wrong with any of those things, in fact, they're all great things, It's just that when I resolve to do something, I usually do the opposite. 

So, a few years ago, I quit making resolutions. Instead of doing that, I would try to come up with a word for the year. I would always spend time praying about a word I could focus on for the next year, and it seems like something would always jump out at me while I was reading the Bible. It could be a word like faithful, or it could be a phrase, like wisdom of the Lord. It would always be really personal and there would be much meaning in it just for me that was between me and the Lord. Usually it would be something I needed to work on in my heart and within my relationship with Him. 

I haven't done this in a long time either, though. Then over the Christmas season, I started doing a study on the book of Hebrews with my friend, Bri. I started strong, but I've still not finished this. I'm not giving up on this and will get this finished eventually! Anyway, the name of the study never really occurred to me, but as I started reading and studying, a certain theme was standing out to me more and more. Before I go on, please do not read that this is anything mystical or special that I do to pick up on a word or theme. This only happens as I read the Bible and keep noticing a certain word or phrase. 

One day I was praying and I kept going back to the title of this study that I was doing—fulfilled. And I started wondering at all the things that I had allowed to bring a sense of fulfillment in my life. The list was long, because for years I have been a self-proclaimed people pleaser. I placed entirely too much value in what others thought of me. I also have a tendency to want to be very good at something, whether it's being prepared, being on time, or being first to accomplish something. I'd allowed all of that into my life to bring fulfillment, when there should only be One who brings that about in me. In the middle of this study, the Lord started doing some internal work on my heart that He had already started months prior to this. 

Somewhere along the line in the last few months, I've let go of a lot of expectations. This doesn't mean that I don't expect certain things from certain people in my life, but at some point I have started acknowledging and sharing in real life struggles. I haven't ever confessed to having perfect sons, but I've just never talked about things they do that I don't agree with before. At this point in my life, I am much more likely to discuss this with a trusted friend or loved one. I don't have to agree with everything they do in life, but I know that I can trust the One who loves them even more than I do to work it all out within them. I don't hide things anymore, and I am not ashamed to say when life is hard and that I'm disappointed. 

They do not bring fulfillment in my life, only Jesus does. Not every other relationship in my life brings fulfillment, either. People will always be people-y and they will continue to let me down, but Jesus never does. I don't expect perfection anymore, because that doesn't bring about the fulfillment that I crave. Only Jesus brings this to my life, and what my home does or does not look like doesn't matter in the grand scheme of life. What matter more are the relationships that happen inside and outside the walls of our home. When people come over, do they feel welcome and loved? When we talk to our neighbors, do they sense our affection and prayers for them? These are the things that matter. I guess you can say that not only am I paying more attention to and spending more time with the One who brings about this fulfillment, He has also shifted my perspective in life. 

I still get frustrated, but instead of going to someone to "vent", I pour it all out to the Lord as I sit and spend time with Him. I still have moments when it's hard to control my attitude or the quick retort that is right there on the tip of my tongue, but I'm more likely to pause and pray silently for the Lord to guard my mouth and my heart in this matter. I'm more likely to sit and converse with Him and not feel too legalistic when I don't go about praying in the exact way that I used to. Some days it's hard to pray and yesterday was one such day, for whatever reason. I finally gave up trying and just confessed to Him that He knew my heart and even when words are hard to form, He already knew everything I was thinking. I asked Him to examine my heart and to help me more clearly commune with Him throughout my day. I didn't notice a huge difference, but I felt better after I poured my heart out. 

Ironically, when I went to the Dayspring website to take their quiz for the yearly word, this picture at the top of my blog is what my word was for this year. Think about that for just a minute...out of all the words they could pick, they would make this one of the choices and that would be my result? I had no idea what the word would be when I quizzed. Here is a link, if you'd like to do that yourself. Don't ask what the other words are, but just know that I'd already been thinking a lot on this word for at least two months. As I was thinking on what I was going to share here, I read this passage out of Romans 8 that I'm going to share with you. These are verses one through eleven.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering, in order that the law's requirement would be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on the things of the Spirit. Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace. The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God's law. Indeed, it is unable to do so. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.

I don't know about you, but I want my mindset to be on the things of the Spirit, which bring about life and peace. I could definitely always use a lot more of that in my life, especially given the world we live in today. It's a mean place! I need my mind fixed on the Lord at all times, and like I said before and will say again, I've not reached this ultimate level of relationship with Jesus. He is refining me day by day and I am continually growing and learning more from His word through the time I spend with Him. 

On that note, I know some of you were interested in participating in our Bible study with us last semester and we're starting again this week! I'd love for you to join us as we study God's divine design for our us as godly women. Even if you're long distance, there is a zoom option! Here is a link for you to register, if you're interested. Make sure you pay attention to the class name, time of day and whether on campus or virtual. Let me know if you do this! If you participated last semester, you'll be placed in the same small group. 

I'm sure you can purchase this book on Amazon or by visiting Revive Our Hearts ministries. You won't be missing anything yet, so don't let that stop you. The first week is nothing but an intro. 

So, that's what has been taking up brain space in my life. A lot of this work is strictly internal, so it's not like it's super obvious all that has been going on in my heart recently. I'm also working through some things that I'm struggling with right now, like feeling burned out in a lot of areas that I help in. I know that often times this is when the enemy is good at his job, but the Lord is always faithful to show me this in my quiet time and I pray fervently against Satan's tactics. He is only as successful as I allow him to be, so I pray about this very often. I feel very raw sharing a lot of this, so if you're still here, thanks for reading and thanks also for being so very kind in your comments on a lot of my posts. I appreciate that more than you'll ever know. 

Tell me about you now—have you ever had a word for your year? Do you this year? I'd love to hear about this, so share away, please! Love to all. ❤