Words To Live By

In 2016, I picked a “Word of the Year” for the first time after hearing a friend quickly explain the idea of choosing a word that connects to your goals, aspirations, and intentions for the year.

I was a single woman in my 30s; I desired to be married, but I wasn’t really dating. I had also spent the past four summers on short-term mission trips and found it easier to talk about Jesus with strangers than with people in my life. So, without much thought, I picked the word RISK, representing a willingness to move out of my comfort zone and try new things. 

I had no idea, when I picked the word RISK, that in May, the on-again, off-again, on-again, off-again boyfriend would re-enter my life and ask me to take a huge risk by trusting him. But by the end of that year, as this man I had loved since high school was talking about our future together, I knew this word had been the perfect fit, and I was going to choose again.

In 2017, I cheated and went with a two-word phrase: POURED OUT.  I was lifting the words from the Apostle Paul in Philippians 2:17, and I knew I wanted my life to be surrendered as a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1) and also poured out for what matters most - loving God and loving others.

I had no idea when I selected POURED OUT that 2017 would be the year I married my best friend. I was blown away by how what had once seemed completely impossible was this beautiful story of redemption that God was writing. Our marriage was a true testament to God’s faithfulness and perfect timing, and our marriage continues to be an opportunity to be poured out in service to my husband for the glory of God.

In 2018, I stole the word WONDER from the Christmas hymn lyrics, “wonders of his love.” Interestingly, one of the places the verb form of the word is used in the Bible is in my dad’s favorite book, Habakkuk. 1:5 is often misunderstood to mean that God is offering hope and going to bring about a positive change; however, when God says, “look among the nations, and see: wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told,” the “work” is actually destruction.

I had no idea when I picked WONDER that 2018 would be a year marked by a scary health journey for my father. We would see too many hospital rooms to keep count, but the Lord was teaching me that I can not only wonder at His love but at His sovereignty.  His ways are not my ways, but He is bigger than anything I will ever face, including my dad’s autoimmune disease. 

In 2019, I selected the word REJOICE. I could sing “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel” because even though the Lord destroys and pours out blessings, He is always God with us. I love the childhood song, “Today is the day that the Lord has made.  I will rejoice and be glad in it,” and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 is such a comfort that we can know God’s will for us in Christ Jesus: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.”

I had no idea when I picked REJOICE that 2019 would be the year I gained another sister through marriage and a new work family.  These new relationships gave me so much to be thankful for, but I was most impacted by the joy I was finding in Him as I spent more time in His Word and in prayer.

In 2020, I chose DELIGHT as a continuation of my focus from 2019.  I have always loved Psalm 37:4: “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”  However, I also loved being reminded in ‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭3:17 that God delights in me: “The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

I had no idea when I picked DELIGHT that life as we knew it would change for everyone in 2020.  As I stayed home quarantining, I could delight in the Lord. As I worked at my home computer from 6 in the morning to 9, 10, or 11 at night, I could delight in the Lord. As my husband and I purchased our first home together, I could delight in the Lord. As I injured my knee and couldn’t walk, I could delight in the Lord. The Lord was still teaching me that my context is never what satisfies but rather drawing close and taking delight in Him.

In 2021, I felt PURSUE was a perfect fit.  Proverbs 15:9 says, “The Lord detests the way of the wicked, but he loves those who pursue righteousness.” I wanted to continue learning what it means to “pursue righteousness,” and we, as a couple, had decided to intentionally pursue growing our family.

I had no idea when I picked PURSUE that I would be challenged to pursue the Lord in utter heartbreak.  11 weeks into our pregnancy, we learned that we were never going to get to meet our child on this side of heaven.  Words really can’t express the myriad of emotions that came in the weeks and months that followed, but I wrote about that time in a previous post.  I now see that what started as a focus on my pursuit of the Lord was actually a lesson in how God pursues me even in grief.

In 2022, I went with one of the most repeated commands in the Bible: REMEMBER. I needed to remember who God is, to remember what he has done for me, and to remember that I can trust his heart.

I had no idea when I picked REMEMBER that 2022 would be the year God remembered me, just as Genesis 30:22 tells us God “remembered Rachel” and “opened her womb” and 1 Samuel 1:19-20 “...the Lord remembered her. And in due time Hanah conceived and bore a son.”  2022 was filled with precious moments I want to remember, from finding out we were pregnant on the exact day of our previous due date to his birth on September 18th.  Over and over, God reminds me that He is in every detail, and I must remember that, no matter the circumstances, He is always worthy of all glory, and honor, and praise.

In 2023, I came to REST from my most hated phrase, “sleep when baby sleeps.”  In the early days of motherhood, when my body wanted nothing more than rest, my mind was still running a hundred miles an hour, and I couldn't make it stop.  But if I am being honest, thought spirals of worry and obsessing over making things “perfect” have been my norm in far too many seasons.  I wanted to take seriously Jesus’s invitation in Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

I had no idea when I picked REST that 2023 would force me to confront my addiction to busyness, to productivity, and to my work.  As a stay-at-home mom, I had to acknowledge that I had been overidentifying with my role as an educator and accept that my value and worth are not based on what I produce.  I had to “Cease Striving and Find Rest” in the only one able to give the rest my heart so deeply desires. 

In 2024, ABIDE was a natural progression because everything I read about rest seemed also to discuss abiding in Christ. John 15 captures the words Jesus communicated to his disciples hours before His crucifixion: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” Bearing fruit seemed like a God-honoring goal, but it was the connection emphasis that continued to show up.  

I had no idea when I picked ABIDE how God was going to use IF:Gathering 2024, summer Bible study, Practicing the Way, teachings and writings on a“Rule of Life” from Justin Whitmel Earley and John Mark Comer, and an Instagram reel from Selah Way Sisters to reshape my prayer life and my view of what it means to abide, or be with Jesus. I changed some of my practices and relational rhythms, but I kept returning to the NLT version of Philippians 2:13, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” He is doing all the work; He gives me the desire and the ability. All I have to do is focus on my connection with Him, to keep my eyes on my Savior.

In 2025, BEHOLD was an acknowledgment that what I give my attention to has the power to shape the person I am becoming. ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬ explains, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 

I had no idea when I picked BEHOLD that I would travel to see the Grand Canyon for the first time, but whether it is in the majestic views of His creation or the everyday moments with my husband and son, beholding His glory changes me a fraction of a degree at a time. Seeing Him correctly changes how I see myself and my sin. Beholding Him changes my capacity for treating others with love and forgiveness.

As I pray these words over my life, I am daily reminded of the goodness and faithfulness of God: Lord, as I BEHOLD your glory, transform me, that I may reflect your glory to others. Thank you for dwelling in me; teach me to ABIDE in your love. Help me cease striving and find REST in you. I REMEMBERwho you are and what you have done; by your grace, may I PURSUE you more. I DELIGHT in you and trust you with the desires of my heart. I REJOICEalways and stand in WONDER at your goodness. Let me be POURED OUT for what matters most, willing to RISK anything for abundant life.

For 2026, I’ve picked the word SHARE because, as 2 Corinthians 1 reminds me, the comfort the Lord has given me in so many different seasons is meant to be shared to comfort others. I hope sharing my “Word of the Year” from the last decade might entice you to try out this practice if you don’t already.  If you do, I hope you will take a little time to reflect on what the Lord has taught you through your practice of focusing on one word and to share your story with someone else. I pray that He will equip us to inhabit every moment and every space in ways that allow us to SHARE His light with our world.