Well I guess I will go ahead and state the obvious….it is officially 2014! Yes I know I am about a month late with celebrating the new year, but just bare with me.
With every new year comes the unrealistic promises known as resolutions. What do we need to change? How can this year be different than the last? How can I challenge myself in a new way?
Earlier this month, I was FaceTiming one of my best friends, Sydney, and talking about what the new year had in store for each of us. She was telling me about a challenge she was working on for the new year from her current bible study. It asked the reader to cautiously and wisely choose a word to define their upcoming year. This word was to be chosen wisely because along with God working greatly in your life through that word, the enemy will also be trying to come against that word. So along with choosing the word, the study encourages you to have scripture to use to fight for your word when you find yourself growing weary or faint at heart.
This got me to thinking…what would my word for the year be? What is God challenging me to work on at this moment in my life?
Earlier this month, I was feeling very spread thin. I do ministry from 8-4 and then I found myself using the rest of my spare time and off-days dealing with numerous, various squad issues. My thoughts were constantly consumed with everyone else’s issues that were being brought to me. When I would listen to a podcast, read a book, or do my quiet time, I found myself applying the lesson not only to how it pertained to me, but also how I could apply it to the squad. I was becoming a mother of 50 very different individuals.
As a squad leader, I truly do love being able to help the squad in any way that I can; whether that is to speak life into individuals, call out their amazing qualities they possess, etc. So please do not think this is me complaining by any means. I am more so admitting to my inability to know when to let my mind stop, to let my mind unwind, to stop figuring things out on my own and let God do the work.
At the beginning of this month, Marie (a girl on the team I’m with this month) told me to go back to when I signed up for the race and remember what my goal was then. What does God want me to get out of this race? What does God have in front of me right now? Seek God’s hands in my life, not only the physical things that are thrown into my line of focus. Stop complicating my thoughts and simplify them to just me and Jesus.
As I was telling Syd about what I was working on, I was looking down at one of the many cluttered bracelets on my wrist that has the word “Faith” stitched into it. I began to wonder if I should pick a word like that for my year. As I was thinking this to myself, she asked me what I thought about having “Faithful” as my word. What a perfect confirmation to my train of thought!
So, for this year of 2014 I have claimed the word “Faithful”!
–Faithful to taking chances
–Faithful to being a prayer warrior
–Faithful to living life to the fullest
–Faithful to God’s world race for me
–Faithful to my convictions
–Faithful my relationship with Christ
–Faithful to my loved ones
–Faithful to WHATEVER God has in store
Maybe all of these things listed are a given to those of you reading. But for me, I can find myself getting distracted with other obligations that dilute my faithfulness. But no longer will my faithfulness get mitigated, for I am claiming that it is found and stronger than ever!
“…FAITH—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor and revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:7
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father…that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through FAITH—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:14-19
So, with all that to say, what is your word for the year going to be? Do you need to LIVE a little more, TRUST more people, LOVE in a greater way, _______________ (fill in the blank). Take some time with God and see what word He wants you to focus on for the year and run with it! He has so much awaiting each of you! So don’t continue being in the dark and satisfied with complacency, but seek after all the grandeur He has for you and claim it!
