One Word (follow-up) by Pastor Joe

At the beginning of 2021 we were all challenged to choose a word “One Word” to focus on throughout the next 12 months and here we are about halfway through the year. I felt now would be a good time to remind us about our word and to reevaluate our one word.

Here is a portion of what I wrote in January. “So, I challenge you to write this one word down in lots of locations: in your Bible, your car, your bathroom mirror, on your phone, make it a definite part of your daily routine. Remember, simply identifying a word will not give you a greater advantage in your spiritual journey, it will not cause you to live more successfully, just because you’ve picked a word. First, make sure you understand this word is a daily encouragement tool, hopefully spurring you to greater levels of spiritual growth, greater levels of sincere relationships, greater levels of success within the calling God has placed upon your life. Secondly, this word is most likely already part of your life. It’s related to an area where you know you need growth and you have a desire to improve. Most of us should choose a word which is already incorporated in our daily lifestyle and/or a point of interest because we need growth within our spiritual walk with God and man. Having said this, it needn’t be an area which is lacking, you just don’t want it to stay status quo. Third and finally, if you start this process and realize that your word changes direction or even changes entirely, that’s OK!” The ultimate purpose of having “one word” is to help us to engage our three-part being (body, soul, and spirit) on a regular basis. No different than taking the time each day for proper rest, nutrition, exercise, and relationship building. God said it best in Philippians 4:8, “We must be intentional in our thought life, because that is what shapes us.” Here is a serious but silly question, do you remember your word? Possibly some of you don’t remember your word because life became very busy over the last 5 months. No problem, just start over or pick up from where you left off.

Here is another good excerpt from a previous article. “So, I decided we should each pick a word to be part of our daily prayer life, daily journaling, daily routine, something that we dwell on frequently. This word does not define you, rather it helps shape who you aspire to be. It’s just one of the many growth tools a person should incorporate into their life. You should be expecting God to use many resources, whether it’s books, training classes, Sunday school, Bible curriculum online, fasting, prayer walking, praying in the Spirit, serving at a local food shelf, expanding the boundaries of your comfort zone. I want you to reach for that next level of spiritual growth. If it’s the Lord‘s will for us to live for another 365 days, then let’s do our very best, and add the one-word theme to our spiritual tool box.”

We are at day 164 in 2021, but who’s counting. Let’s take the next 6 1/2 months and build on our “One Word” or reignite the word you feel will help you reach your next level of spiritual growth. My one word for 2021 is “overcome.” What it means for me, from the onset, and for you the reader is, I am not allowing any of the obstacles of 2020, no matter what the experience resulted in last year, to have any residual distraction moving forward. It’s a new season for God to do something great in each of our lives. My one word has great meaning for me in so many ways. Sometimes I have to overcome my own selfishness. I’m learning to submit to the needs of family members in ways I have never had to in the past. An evangelist who visited our church in Northfield often would declare, “Never forget you are a born-again world overcomer!” Amen, may it be so every day in my life.