I am not big on social media quizzes. You know the type I am talking about..”what profession should you have??” and “what’s your life color??” etc etc. When I am especially bored or they have an intriguing subject, I will go for it, often with hilarious results. The other day, however, I saw a new one and took it, and that’s the reason for this post.

I don’t know when this trend started, but it is a current thing to replace New Year’s resolutions with one word for the year. When I first heard about it I loved it, and tried to pick a word that described my focus or my direction for that upcoming year. One year I was successful..reminding myself of the word, meditating on it, and seeing how focusing on it enhanced my life. However, last year was a total failure. We ended 2017 losing a very good friend to cancer, followed by the loss of my sister-in-law in January. I was so scattered I didn’t focus on anything, much less a word. The rest of the year was challenging to say the least, and I was not unhappy to see 2018 come to an end.

Somewhere toward the end of December I saw the quiz mentioned above. It was from a Christian publishing company, and it was about a “word” for 2019. It was easy and short..and when I got my results I was astonished! God gave me my life verse in 1995, when we were in a year long, intense discipleship at our church. At that time we were under incredible stress and financial strain, and there seemed to be no end to our continuing disputes with one particular person. Every single issue or skirmish ended in defeat for us, and gloating for the other party. And yet! God brought me to 2 Chronicles 20:15 “…be not dismayed nor discouraged by reason of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but GOD’S”. Let me tell you..I clung to that Scripture then and every day since.

So after taking this quiz, my word for the year was…courage! Isn’t that so cool? Last year was tough..frightening..scary and full of unexpected obstacles. So what did God do? He took me right back to my roots..right back to where my life verse was..”be not dismayed”! I started two new ventures last year but hadn’t at that point fully committed to either one, kind of hanging on the sidelines. There’s another one I have yet to start. Somewhere along the way “good enough” became my motto, or my contentment level. I wasn’t excited about really pushing hard in either, with all kinds of excuses. This blog is also another one of those..it’s been almost two months since my last post..but not for long!

Why? Because God has challenged me to do more that just adopt a word. He has directed me to HIS word, and I have begun reseaching every verse that has the word courage in it..and journaling about it. I will eventually move to those verses with afraid, fear, etc, but it will take awhile with the first group! The Lord has also confirmed my study by sending me people, one here, one there, who are also struggling with fear and dismay! I have been able to share my verses and what I have learned, and its very humbling!

Now I will stop right here and say this: there is nothing “magical” about a word for the year. I know some out there claim victories of health, wealth, and happiness from “embracing the power of a word” and what it will do for you. I know those who have theirs embroidered, put on jewelry, write it everywhere, and more. That is as off track as any other false thinking. After all, “courage” is still what is has always been..just a word, made up of 7 letters, of the English alphabet. No more, no less.

And yet! In God’s plan, with His guidance and using His Word, I believe that He can take a current fad and use it mightily for His glory. And I believe that just as I spend time meditating on the names of God (words) or the attributes of God (more words!) and praising Him through it, I can add one more word and He will bless it and use it to teach me and grow me in Him. So..gotta word yet? Try it!