MY WORD for 2016

WELL IT’S THAT TIME FRIENDS AND I WONDER THIS MORNING……..HAVE YOU CHOSEN YOUR WORD YET?  I began my word search with prayer, asking GOD to reveal to me the word I needed for this time in my life.  My word……. SURRENDER……. became evident to me a few weeks ago with hearing it over and over in sermons, songs and even in a conversation with someone on Christmas Eve.  Then my first devotional reading in the New Year mentioned it eight times!  I can’t believe how GOD has highlighted my word so that I will make no mistake in choosing HIS word for me.

The dictionary states that surrender means to yield or to submit; to humble oneself.  It is the yielding of one’s person.  I wonder and am excited to see how GOD works on this one with me. Sometimes HE decides we need to be pruned a bit and I’m willing to go deeper with HIM. GOD wants all of us to submit our will to HIM in a big way……..remember what JESUS said: “not my will, but YOUR will”?  When GOD breaks your will, you are often drawn to your knees!

I also am looking at my marriage……..maybe submitting there is in order too.  My husband and I have been married over 30 years, but am I honoring my marriage in the way GOD wants me to?  Do I need to listen more and submit to my husband’s leading?  Maybe all this surrendering involves less of me, and more of GOD!  But wherever this year takes me, I do trust that HIS leading will humble me and direct me.

I hope by now I have given you some idea of what choosing a word can mean for you and for your year.  You will be amazed that once you do choose a word, it will start to appear and pop up everywhere.  I am always surprised at how much I see my word in my morning devotionals and in scripture.  Last week I even read this:

1 TIMOTHY 2; 11 “LET A WOMAN LEARN IN SILENCE WITH ALL SUBMISSION.”

Timothy was speaking to men and women in the Church and how they should learn and worship.  I can imagine in the coming year that GOD will have HIS way with me through HIS mighty WORD, whether I like it or not, ultimately breaking my will on a lot of subjects.  It doesn’t mean that I have to be a doormat to those around me either, but I hope that GOD will instill within me a quiet humility that I so admire in others.  Does HE want me to speak less and listen to others more?  What HE decides to do within me is up to HIM…….and I trust HIM to show me.  I think surrendering to my GOD alone should be my first priority…….and so my journey begins!

There is a sweet lady I see at Church that already told me with much excitement that her word for 2016 was JOY.  I could already see GOD working in her…….that day she had joy written all over her face!  I will look forward to hearing how her journey is going in the coming year. 

Please make sure you tell a few friends what your word is.  That way they can ask you what is going on with it, and you can remain accountable to the word and seek GOD’S wisdom to help you grow further in it.  Just so you know you aren’t alone, you can google: “one word for 2016” and you will find many people deciding to choose a word for the year instead of making resolutions.  We can all support one another by periodically asking: “so how is your WORD coming along?”

Also, you will find here that on and off, I will write about my word when my life circumstances are an example of what surrendering is all about.  Not every post will refer to it, but I won’t let go of it until the end of the year.  And it’s funny because when you say goodbye to your present word, you actually feel kind of sad……so I must say an official goodbye here and now to my word for 2015:  HOLY.  Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD!  Oh how I have learned about GOD’S HOLY character this past year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIENDS…….BLESSINGS ON YOUR 2016 AND MAY YOUR WORD BECOME CLEAR TO YOU SOON!  PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LEAVE ME A COMMENT BELOW ABOUT YOUR WORD AND HOW AND WHY YOU CHOSE IT!  I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR WORD JOURNEY AS IT PROGRESSES!

EPHESIANS 5: 12 “AND FURTHER, SUBMIT TO ONE ANOTHER OUT OF REVERENCE FOR CHRIST.”