What’s Your Word for the Year?
We live in a trendy age. Christians are no less immune to this than any other group of people. In fact, as Christians we might be embarrassed if we realized how trend-conscious we are. One of the newer trends I’ve noticed is that many Christians pick a “word” for the year. This seems to be a more spiritual version of setting a goal. We want to be more joyful so our word for the year is “joy.” There is certainly nothing wrong with this. My goal with this post is to encourage you, so please hear this in the way I offer it.
A few days ago our family was sitting around talking and someone mentioned that she was trying to come up with her word for the year. She asked my children to give her some words. As it turns out she did not specify the purpose for which she wanted these words. My children called out various words. “Glory” said one and so forth. One of my children called out “shrapnel.” And of course everyone lost it.
Who would pick “shrapnel” as their word for the year? Of course, no one would do such a thing. We tend to only pick positive and uplifting things. However, looking back on some of the last few years “shrapnel” might have been an apt description for how the year went. The turning over of the calendar to a new year brings with it blessings as well as trials and tribulations. We might as well prepare ourselves for both.
Don’t put all kinds of pressure on yourself to come up with a word for your year. (I’m not criticizing you if you did). None of us have any idea what 2022 may hold. This is a good thing. The future is God’s department. It’s good that we don’t know what is on the road ahead. What we do know is that God is good. What we do know is that He has plans for the lives of believers that work even bad things together for good (Romans 8:28). I take a great deal of comfort in James 1:14-15:
“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
That’s my word for 2022. “If the Lord wills.”