At this time of year, everyone is talking about making resolutions. I’m not much of a fan. Instead, my New Year’s aspirations are more about a challenge of sorts. Each year, I select one word, theme or phrase of the year that sums up who I want to be or how I want to live in the new year.
The clock strikes twelve and then the pressure is on. At least that’s how it always seemed to me on the first day of the new year.
As Aud Lang Syne is sung around the globe and another year is festively rung in, hopes and dreams of new achievements rest on the best intentions of resolutions.
Even as a child I was never a fan of New Year’s resolutions. I heard too many adults moan and groan of failed resolutions within days of making their promises, followed by weak excuses for their lack of results.
Rarely did I hear resolve to tweak the plan and start again the next day. To me, resolutions sounded like a recipe for failure. Yet failure seemed inevitable in life, so I was unsure why we needed to plan for it.
Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not against goal-setting or working toward improving ourselves. In fact, I’m all for it. I’m just not enchanted with New Years’ resolutions.
New Year’s Aspirations: Choosing One Word as a Theme
Over the past few years, I’ve selected one word or theme to focus on for the next year. That one word may sum up who you want to be or how you want to live for the year. Unlike a New Years’ resolution, however, I’ve never actually chosen my word or theme. It’s more like it’s been impressed upon me by the Lord.
I can’t even tell you how or when this practice began for me. Yet these annual words or themes have born much more fruit in the long run than I’ve ever seen come from even the best-kept resolutions.
In a recent discussion with friends about their practices, I’ve heard a wide variety of words chosen as their annual theme: believe, ignite, diamond, love, new, intentional, awe, faithful, discipline, and more. Their words intrigued and fascinated me…some I was so enamored with, I even wished they had been mine.
Trusting God in the midst of a Challenge
In my own practices, I have found that when God gives me a word or phrase, it’s usually quite a challenge. Every year it seems the word He gives me is almost too difficult. It’s never too difficult for Him, but it almost always seems too difficult for me.
Regardless of the specific word or phrase, the experience always brings me back to the fundamentals: am I going to trust God? Will I trust Him in my inherent lack? Will I trust Him to be for me what I cannot? Will I trust Him to take my surrendered heart and finish in me what He started?
With each new year, I find myself having a touch of uncertainty because I know how difficult the words have been before. I wonder what I’ll be faced with, challenged with. Yet, in the end, I know that whatever the one word is, it will grow me and mature me in Him, and that is always a good thing. A very good thing.
A few years ago, He gave me the phrase, “boldly courageous.” It seemed around every corner was yet another opportunity for me to practice bold courage. Time after time I wanted to crawl back into a hole and choose to be invisible. And yet I would hear the whisper, “Is that what boldly courageous looks like?” and out I would go to face the challenge, trusting in Him with each trepidatious step. In the end, I never regretted one of those challenges He set before me.
My One Word for 2020
I’ve chosen a different kind of word for this year. It’s Hineni…it means “Here I am, Lord. I’m listening–send me!” I want to become so in tune with the Lord’s voice that I hear His directions, don’t question, and trust Him as I follow. My heart’s desire is to serve Him full-time, in everything I do, whether it’s writing, speaking, sharing with a friend over coffee, or washing my dishes with a positive attitude. But I also want to be willing to go wherever He leads. Where will He lead? I have no idea, but I look forward to finding out.
So whether you are making resolutions, or your New Year’s Aspiration is choosing a personal theme for the year, commit your efforts to the Lord. As you stumble, and you will because we all do, go back to the source. Trust Him. Look not to the left or right, not to what your friends or neighbors are doing, but only to the plan He has for you. He knows the plans He has for you and they are good. They are plans for a future and a hope, plans to prosper you and not to harm you (Jeremiah 29:11).
When the challenge is hard, remember that the reward in Him will be greater.
“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people” (Colossians 3:23 NLT).
Happy New Year!
Because of Him,
Hope Prevails
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You wore “boldly courageous” beautifully this past year, Michelle. I look forward to seeing what our Heavenly Father cloaks you in for 2016. Surely he will be glorified in the fullness of his will. Bless you for listening and following.
Thank you Pat. He has certainly challenged me in many ways, but I am grateful for the purification process. I want only to be more like Him, and to be a reflection of His love, His grace, His mercy, His hope. While He has never given me an “easy” word or theme on which to focus for the year, it has always caused me to go deeper in my trust of Him, for which I am eternally grateful. This year is already proving to be much the same. I look forward to seeing the fruit that it produces. I’m so grateful for the support of friends like you along the journey. Because of Him, #HopePrevails!
I do not know any one any more boldly courageous than you. You are an amazing friend. I look forward to 2016 to see what beaches He takes you to in 2016. Blessings, Diana
Thank you Diana. I could only be #boldlycourageous because of Him living inside of me. Every word/theme He has ever given me has caused me to grow in that area. This year is already proving to be the same. Because of Him, #HopePrevails!
Nice word #boldlycourageous 🙂
Alice,
I look back now, and I’m grateful that God called me to be #boldlycourageous. But I can tell you, during the journey, I wasn’t always so grateful. He does always know what is best! Because of Him, #HopePrevails!
Trust in Him gives us comfort and peace. Blessings and Happy New Year Michelle. 🙂
And there is little else that compares to His comfort and peace! Because of Him, #HopePrevails!
I love this! I saw the one word thing going around on posts last year but didnt’ really know what it was about. I’ll have to think about this! 🙂 Quickly.
Carol,
Allowing God to give me a word or theme for the year has been a blessing. It has allowed me to grow in areas that I wouldn’t have otherwise challenged myself to grow. If you decide to surrender to the process, I’d love to have you come back and share what your focus will be! Because of Him, #HopePrevails!
You were given a great word for 2015. I didn’t want to pick my word(s) myself either so I waited and sure enough out of the blue mine was given to me. I don’t like resolutions either, I do goal setting for the year. I hope you have a great 2016!
Leslie, yes, I was given a great word for 2015, although if I’m being honest, I didn’t much care for it at the time. It proved to be very much a challenge for me, as did the word the year before and the year before that. It has always come down to whether or not I will trust Him. This year looks like it will be very much the same! Blessings to you as you embark on this New Year! Because of Him, #HopePrevails!
Awesome! A powerful word for the year. I wish you a very boldly courageous 2016. My word for the year is teamwork. I love how, God gives each of us exactly what we need. Wishing you a very blessed Sunday!
Jed,
So nice to see you here. I pray that you will experience even greater joy and reward this year as you pursue exploring the treasures He has waiting for you in teamwork this coming year. He always knows what we need, when we need it, and how to best deliver! Because of Him, #HopePrevails!
Thanks Michelle, for sharing this at Inspire Me Monday – you are one of our Featured Guests at this week’s party!
I’m also hosting a month-long New Year’s Blog Hop specifically for New Year’s Goals and One Word Posts. I invite you to share this post there (and your One Word when God reveals it to you).
He revealed my word to me in November during my devotional time – it’s FOCUS.
Happy New Year to you!
What a great word, FOCUS! There are so many different directions you could go with that, but I’d encourage you to stay “focused” on the only direction He has given you. Seek first His kingdom, His instruction, His path. You cannot go wrong. Because of Him, #HopePrevails!
This was beautiful! You explained it all so well. And I totally agree with you about new year resolutions and I wrote a post about it—we should be setting goals all year round, not waiting for January 1st.
I love how God always leads me to the right word just in time for the new year. In 2 years past my word was discovered by reading a book that I stumbled upon at just the perfect time when I needed its message most.
My One Word for 2020 is Story–a reminder that my life is a story, so I want to make it a good one.
Anna,
Oh how I love your 2020 word. You are so right about our life being a story. I know He will bless your story to His glory.
I love the idea of New Year’s Aspersions, Michelle. Almost as much as I love your word for the year.
Awww, thanks so much Heather! Have a blessed New Year!
I’ve never been a fan of the one word before but God gave me one last year anyway and I count to it and to Him and watched Him work in me in ways I never would have imagined. He’s given me a word for this year too and now you’ve given me a new perspective to embrace it. I know that I can be successful through Him again!
Valerie, you raise a good point…God may not have everyone endorse a word for the year. But we can be assured that if God leads us to it, He will help us accomplish all He wants us to when we devote it to Him. I love how each year the word He has led me to has helped me grow in my understanding of Him.
Michelle, great word this year, love what it means. And what better aspiration than saying Here I am to the Lord.
Karen, all I want is to do what He wants when He wants, and go where He wants me to go. Did you choose a word for the year?