My Word for 2019

I’ve never been good at New Year’s resolutions. I’ve made them. I just rarely keep them beyond the first month, or even week. They just never factor into my life as a high priority.

This year, I’ve seen lots of people sharing their “word of the year”. They choose a word to represent their goals for the year or something they hope to learn, improve, etc. Rather than choose to focus on a list of changes that they plan to make to themselves, they chose a word to meditate on and focus on when making decisions. That is something I can do, as long as there is a biblical basis for my word.

Choosing My Word

I toyed with choosing a word the last two weeks. I prayed for guidance on what direction God wanted me to take and eventually, I shared the word I was thinking about choosing with my family. It was not met with the support I’d hoped. They listened to my explanation before one of my girls shook her head and told me, “I think your word should be ‘Confident’”.

Confident? Not exactly what I was going for. I don’t want people to think whatever happens this year is all about me. I don’t want to accomplish anything through my own power. It needs to be through God’s. Confident to me hinted at me being in charge and running the show.

Psalm 27

Rather than dismiss her idea, I did a search for scripture about being “confident”. One jumped out at me because it has been a favorite of mine for years.

Psalm 27: 1 – 3 says:

1The Lord is my light and my salvation;

Whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life;

Of whom shall I be afraid?

2When the wicked came against me

To eat up my flesh,

My enemies and foes,

They stumbled and fell.

3Though an army may encamp against me,

My heart shall not fear;

Though war may rise against me,

In this I will be confident.

After the turmoil of the last few years, and the provision God has shown us through it all, “Confident” suddenly seemed fitting for this new year!

Going Forward, I Will Be Confident

Looking back at the last few years, if I’d chosen a word it might have been Transition, Peace, or Provision since those words sum up the way God was present in my life. He prepared my heart for all the changes that were coming in 2015. He gave me peace as things unfolded, or unraveled, in 2016. In 2017 and 2018, He repeatedly showed us His Provision for our family

For the first time in a long time, I feel like I’m on solid footing and able to move forward pursuing God’s plan for us rather than continuing in a season of waiting. It’s time to get back to serving God confidently! To share with others how He’s protected me, provided for me, defeated enemies for me! It’s time to embrace His call in my life and KNOW WITH CONFIDENCE that God is not just a passive entity that dabbles in the world but a loving Father who cares for His children.

So, I Will Be Confident in 2019! I will face the challenges that may arise with the confidence that God will see me through them and use them to grow me. I’ll listen for His guidance and be confident in His answers because He’s shown that He will always provide.

In all I do, I’ll look back at the years we struggled and remember how we overcame because God was with us, going before us, and preparing us and others for what He was about to do. It’s because things have been hard that we can be sure God is real and active in our lives. It’s because He’s seen me through my darkest days that I can say…In this I will be confident!

Have you picked a word for 2019?

I’d love to hear your word and why you chose it. Drop it in the comments below.