What’s Your Word For 2017?

It’s a new year and a time of new beginnings. Many have made new years resolutions-things they want to change in their life. Although making a new year’s resolution is a really good idea, I gave up on making them a long time ago. I got tired of feeling guilt and shame because I wasn’t able to keep them.

Something that kind of evolved for me about 5 years ago is that on a new year I now ask the Lord for a word or phrase that He may have for me for that year. For example, in the past the Lord has impressed on my heart words like “grace,” “abundance,” intentional,” to mention a few. Once I sense in my spirit what God is saying to me, I begin to meditate and work on implementing that word into my character and life.

This year my one word is “surrender.”

I’m actually not surprised that this would be the thing God wants to refine in me. I have been struggling with letting go of control for a long time now. There are some things I have been praying for fervently, and as of yet they have not come to fruition. Because of this, it’s been quite a challenging season for me. I have wrestled with God at times, and at other times I’ve pretended to be submitted to His will. But who am I fooling? Certainly not the Lord.

My lack of practicing the serenity prayer (God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference), has robbed my of a lot of peace and joy.

My pastor recently said something that convicted me. He asked the congregation: “Have you resigned as chairperson of your life yet?”

My answer to this, without hesitation, was “no.”

Since I’m a control freak I tend to fret and worry. Even when I pray, I do so with pleading-which is okay to do, but not when your heart’s not submitted to God’s will. I confess that often my prayers are desperate, birthed in fear, longing for relief from my angst.

This year I want to learn how to surrender all those things that are not in my control. My goal is to stop begging God for what I think I need,and begin resting in His promises. He is a good Father that desires to give us good things.

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father” (James 1:17).

A verse that God keeps impressing on my heart is Psalm 46:10, which says “be still and know that I am God.” In Hebrew “being still” means to stop striving, to let go, or surrender. This is what I want to change in my character. Or rather, this is what I want to allow God to change.  I need to let go of all that isn’t mine to hold on to. I must surrender and submit to the One in charge-God. The One that has every day of my (and my loved ones) life recorded in His book. Every moment laid out before a single day passes (Psalm 139:16).

I’m praying for the Holy Spirit’s encouragement and strength through this process. We simply cannot live life in our own strength. I have to remind myself to take baby steps and look for small confirmations of my progress. The Christian walk is a marathon, not a sprint. May you shine the light of Christ in this new year.

How about you? What’s your one word for 2017?

“You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.” ~ Psalm 65:11