My Word For 2020

I choose my word for the year by looking back over the previous year and recalling the ways God was at work in my life. I think about the blessings and the trials of the year, and I review the passages of Scripture that were most precious to me during those times.

As I mentioned in my post about the greatest blessing of last year (and the decade), I have been so impacted by the fact that the people God used were full of the knowledge of God and of His Word. I thought about continuing my word from last year – communicate – which focused on that same idea of communicating God’s Words and not my own opinion.

I decided to back up and dig a little deeper into that concept after reflecting on the questions of “what do I want to do more of this year?” and “what do I want to do less of this year?” Here it is.

Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her.

Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Proverbs 4:5-8, 13, 23

All of that led me to this year’s word – LISTEN.

I start my day by listening to the passages in my Bible in a Year plan along with the Proverb for the day, but there are lots of other times I want to be more intentional about what I’m listening to. Now that I’m settled into a good routine with my household duties, the weekly schedule I keep for blogging and my work week routine, I don’t want to go into autopilot and do things on my own. I want to listen to God’s Word so that I can speak accurately about Him.

That also means I’m taking small steps like choosing a few books to read during my lunch break and queuing up new podcasts for listening during my daily commute. I know that today’s choices determine tomorrow’s consequences.

I want to intentionally turn my volume down and turn wisdom’s volume up so that it’s the one I’m hearing each day. The thing about choosing a word for the year is that it’s just a guide – it’s not a set of rules or resolutions that I have to follow. I’m excited to see where it takes me and how the Lord uses this word in my life as He steps into my circumstances for His glory.

Have you chosen a word of the year? I would love to hear what it is!