So what is the process of focusing on one word?
How do you do it?
I recommend reading Ashcraft and Olsen’s book as they do a marvelous job of describing the process.
Here is the process in a nutshell:
- Think about who you want to become. Write these qualities down.
- Pray – asking God to show you the quality that He wants to mature in you. Or the word that He wants to transform your life with.
- Narrow down your list to the top three.
- Look up definitions of these top three.
- Pray again.
- Choose one that resonates with you.
- Keep this One Word in front of you.
Dig into the Word – what does God say about this word? What does the world say about this word? How does it apply to my life?
Don’t worry about choosing the right word – you always have next year right?
At the end of last year (2015) I really thought that COURAGE was going to be my one word for 2016. I had even started pondering it.
But God had other plans. He led me to PAUSE instead – maybe I am not ready for what the word COURAGE has in store for me.
Ashcraft in his book talk about the relief your one word brings from trying to keep a list of goals or resolutions.
Instead of having a list of things to improve about yourself – you have just one word. How freeing is that!
Here are the top ten most often picked words:
- Trust
- Patience
- Love
- Discipline
- Focus
- Faith
- Surrender
- Peace
- Listen
- Joy
These has been my ONE WORDS:
2013 REAL
I wanted to have a REAL authentic relationship with God.
I didn’t want to settle with the normal Christian existence of going to church and that was it.
I wanted to know that God was REAL in my life. I wanted to see God turn up in my daily life.
To REALLY know Him in everything and in every moment. No keeping up appearances or doing the 7 steps to anything.
No performing. Just getting REAL. Discovering what the true REALITY was – God’s REALITY.
2014 HOPE
This was a very difficult year. Our business folded the year before. We then went to live with my parents home while my husband went overseas to find work.
We had plans to join him but they were derailed by one unfortunate incident after another – serious car accident and then finally redundancy. Interesting that I had prayerfully chosen HOPE as my One Word for 2014!
One of the main changes to my life was to live out the meaning of HOPE – Biblical HOPE.
To confidently expect good in my life because of the finished work of Christ.
That any situation that comes in my or my family’s lives is not a setback but a stepup.
I discovered that God uses issues to propel us forward (if we partner with Him) not to send us backward.
Oh the mighty lessons that I learned in 2014.
Psalm 62:5 really became special to me.
“For God alone O my soul wait in silence for my hope is from Him”.
The year of HOPE was a turning point in our lives, financially, spiritually and positionally. I won’t disclose the amazing end results here – I will leave that for a future book.
2015 TREASURE
This was an interesting word that God gave me to focus on especially after our financial breakthrough at the end of 2014. It was enlightening to uncover what my true TREASURE was.
Oh this One Word was so rich in meaning (ok I promise that pun was not intended).
From viewing my search of God as searching for TREASURE – the pearl of great price. To discovering what I TREASURE most in relationships, time and money.
- What do I regards as precious.
- What should i view as precious TREASURE.
- Discovering the value of TREASURING up Gods words to discovering what TREASURE is in my heart by the words that I speak
- Oh and the greatest discovery of the year – the TREASURE that is inside believers, inside me – just a jar of clay. The light that is inside me, Jesus, is my TREASURE.
- That my focus on this earth is to lay up TREASURE in heaven – what does that look like?
God taught me about the actual art of TREASURING – to store up things of value to be used later.
To store up healthy thoughts not toxic ones.
To store up health in my body.
To store up finances to pay off upcoming bills.
To store up TREASURE in heaven by giving to the poor, to TREASURE the gift that he has placed inside.
Now that brings me to my current word –
2016 PAUSE
It has been the most difficult one word to focus on.
It has involved a lot of discipline and active change.
Doesn’t sound like the word PAUSE does it? But this word has really stretched me.
It has surprised me to the point where I am spending hours writing down God’s lessons that someday I may publish them as a book.
I have uncovered the ultimate power that is in The PAUSE.
It has encouraged me to evaluate my present life.
Is what I am doing now going to bring me increase or bring spiritual maturity?
Is my present activities and state of mind going to create a successful life?
Do some activities or people in my life have to go to make way for the vital things?
The power of pausing has lead me to discovering….
…ways to deal with change
…ways to get all the juice out of God’s word
…ways to find my voice – the one thing that I was created for
…ways to enrich my relationships with family and friends.
These discoveries have done a work in my life – reinventing myself.
This is part of a series on choosing One Word to focus on for a year.
See my previous posts:
Reinvent yourself one word at a time
4 Positive Results from Reinventing Yourself One Word at a Time
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