New Year's Resolutions?

Several years ago about this time of year, I was challenged by a wise, sweet, lady in our church, Rae Jean Belt, to pray for a word for the year. I had never heard of this but it seemed like a great idea instead of New Year’s resolutions.

That first year the word “sanctification” kept coming up everywhere! I couldn’t seem to get away from this word sanctification, I didn’t even know what it meant. It was a word I heard around church and the Christian world but I really had no idea what it meant. So I asked God if this was the word He had for me and it seemed apparent it was. I dug into understanding sanctification that year. I still am not confident I know all that is buried in that word’s meaning but it was really cool year learning how God set me apart and about the process of sanctification.

I have had this practice every year since, one year it was the word joy. And finding joy in everyday was renewing to my mind and soul that year. Every December I have started praying for the word that will be the theme of the next year. A few years we just redid the last years word because I didn't learn what I was supposed to yet.

2023 I very skeptically embraced the word confidence. I am truly not confident in anything about myself. I didn’t want to embrace confidence, I have lived under the shadow of letting everyone else be the up front person and I am the background worker for so many years, I knew this word meant that I was going to have to start following through with what He was asking me to do. I was going to have to have confidence in what God said to be true therefore I needed to follow through for Him, which would put me out front in some circumstances. I liked the way life had been running and didn’t want change or put myself out there.

There has been many things in 2023 that I don’t think I could have faced if I didn’t have God whispering “confidence we got this together” to my soul. I have learned my confidence is not in myself but my confidence is on God's ability to do anything and handle every situation. Proverbs 14:26 says, "In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children will have refuge." I have learned this past year, to find my confidence in the refuge of the Lord and His unwavering abilities not mine.

In 2023, I have cautiously embraced confidence, He has asked me to finish a book and put myself out there with it. He has asked me to start this website and blog something I am always uncomfortable with and concerned about what people will think or say. He has asked me to stand up for what is right in the positions He has placed me and I have tried to do my best even in the face of adversity.

He has asked me to confidently confront evil personally while loving and holding tight to those close to me. To confidently face my own heartbreak, while focusing on the good I find in every day God winks.

I now have a playlist on my phone called “confidence” and yes the song by Demi Lovato plain and simply called “Confident” is on that play list along with a few more songs I listen to when I need the confidence boost.

My 2024 word is still being prayed about. I have a few beginning gut feelings of the word of the year but it may just be my personal hope for what 2024 will bring. I want God’s word and theme for my 2024 to come not my desires.

So how about you? Maybe instead of another New Years resolution that hopefully you will follow through with, how about we all pray for a word from God for our 2024. What is the theme of our learning going to be about this year to come? How are we going to grow in our walk with Christ this year? What is your word for 2024? If God gives you a word that scares you, embrace it! You won’t regret it and please know He has chosen that word for you for a reason, He knows what 2024 will hold.

How about this, when you have your word leave it in the comments of this blog. This will do two things, it will solidify it for you. Putting it out there will help you to commit to learning all you can about this word and what God wants you to learn about it. And it will allow me to pray for you to have a 2024 engulfed in the lessons your word will bring. As soon as I am confident in my 2024 word I will put it out here for you all to hold me accountable as well. So what is your word for 2024?