Did you know that January 12th is National Quit Day?
Word-of-the-Year is a simple, intentional tool that can remind you to focus on God’s purpose or hold onto God’s purpose in one area of your life. There’s nothing supernatural or magical about your WOTY, but it can be a positive trigger when you’re feeling lost, confused or you find yourself off track.
In Proverbs 29:18, there’s an observation that still rings true today:
“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” -Proverbs 29:18 KJV
Vision is knowing where you want to end up in the future. Someone with vision sees an empty wall and mentally knows how to arrange the art and photographs. My sister is a talented cake decorator and she can see the design of the cake before she starts.
Without vision, people wander. When you don’t have vision, you waffle without knowing what you’re doing.
Can people die without vision? Sadly, the answer is yes.
We watch the news and see the tragic evidence of this. Even if someone doesn’t physically die, when one lives without vision, people lack priorities. Without spiritual vision, people don’t understanding God’s eternal perspective or eternal plan.
This means that everything precious is at risk of destruction.
Without understanding God’s purpose for marriage, a marriage can die.
Without living according to God’s purpose for parenting, parents can unintentionally wound or traumatize their children.
Without embracing God’s purpose for our bodies, we can misuse this sn that we’re in and hurt ourselves with addiction or other issues.
Without learning God’s purpose for life, tragedy or heartache can result in life-threatening despair and hopelessness.
Word-of-the-Year Can Help You Remember God’s Vision for You
I like to choose a verse first and often, God seems to place a specific word arising from that verse.
Here’s my 2024 verse:
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. -Ephesians 3:20 NLT
In 2024, I am resetting the pace of my life. Last year, God opened some extraordinary doors. I was able to write three books, which was amazing but required a lot of self-sacrifice. It’s time for me to step back and focus more on being a human BE-ing versus a human DO-ing. Now my act of faith is letting go and trusting God with these projects.
This brings me to my 2024 Word-of-the-Year: CHILL
This WOTY reminds me that God’s power is greater than my power. I can rest and relax in trusting God to work in me and around me. No, CHILL isn’t in the Bible. You don’t have to choose a word in the Bible. It needs to be a word that you sense God placing in your heart.
Ready to Choose a WOTY?
I love that DaySpring offers a digital tool to help you choose your WOTY. You can click this link and answer a few questions. You’ll receive a suggestion for your WOTY. You can keep that word or choose a different word.
How to Use Your Word-of-the-Year Effectively
- Write your WOTY (and verse) on a postcard and tape it to your bathroom mirror. This is a low-tech, daily way to remind yourself. The more often you remind yourself, the more you’ll prioritize living into this word.
- Share your WOTY with friends and tell them why. Trust me, telling others about your word solidifies it in YOUR mind and makes it more likely that it will surface in your mind again.
- Set up a monthly reminder in your phone for the first day of the month with your WOTY and your verse of the year.
- Use Canva to create a beautiful cellphone screensaver. I’ve made up some templates that you can customize with your word. Just click here.
DO YOU HAVE A WORD-OF-THE-YEAR? If so, hit “reply” and tell me. Also, if you’ve chosen a verse of the year, I’d love to hear that, too.
PEACE
Ahhh, always a good word. Thank you for sharing this with us, Joanna!
Good morning Barb!
I have been thinking on and off about my word of the year. Trust always came up in my mind. After reading this devotional I took the test. My word of the year is trust! That is my goal for 2024!! To trust God in ALL situations. Thank you for this devotion!
Terri
Hi Barb. Tha k you for providing the quiz to help us with our WOTY. I took the Quiz and my word is Trust.
I think it is a perfect fit for me in 2024.
Awesome!I’m glad that you took the quiz and the word grooves with you!
Terri, that’s SO cool that the words matched. Looks like God confirmed that for you.
I did the quiz from DaySpring. My word is IMAGINE. Yes, that word resounds with me and is one I need to embrace for this year. IMAGINE being truly filled with hope and joy.
IMAGINE………so many things.
That’s a good one! Thank you for sharing this. I like it!
WOTY: Continue. Galatians 6:10. “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” 2023 has been a hard year for me. God called my husband of 48,almost 49, years, home. Test after test this year, finally GB surgery. All of this mixed in with grief, hard but God is so good and faithful.
Faye, thank you for sharing this with us. Our hearts ache for you. We’re so sorry for your loss. I admire your WOTY and celebrate that you’re proclaiming God’s faithfulness in all seasons of your life.
My word of the year is FIT. God has been encouraging me to get FIT both physically and spirituality. I’m more effective when I’m FIT. I can do all things through Christ Jesus my Lord!
That’s so good, Loretta! Yes, you can in Christ!
Hello! I wanted to remind myself that I need God daily to help me reach my goals. My word of the year that He brought to mind is “COMMIT” from Prov. 16:3. ”Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.“
Proverbs 16:3 ESV
Wonderful! That’s fabulous!
Love this.. can’t wait to see how my word will impact my life in 2024z thank you!
Woot! Keep us posted!
The Lord gave me the word “HOPE” this year and the verse is Romans 15:13 “ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”.
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing your WOTY year and verse. Powerful!
I love your word Barb! I wrestled with my word out of three words (create, surrender or trust) and trust kept coming up in scripture and in devotions. I felt like gulping when I had that thought what’s going to happen that I need to trust God more?! But I know that he’s been building my trust in him all along and I am acknowledging that I need to trust him more with all of the craziness going on in the world.
So good Sherri! I love that your WOTY creates a beautiful tension that challenges you to keep trusting God as you’ve been growing in.
I took the quiz and my word is simplify. It’s perfect for me. Thank you for sharing the quiz.
My word of the year from the quiz is celebrate which is a little bit of a surprise to me. I think that it’s apt, though and will help me when challenges come.
My word is simplify. This is exactly what i need. I try to do all things for everyone and end up not doing well at anything! Simplify and focus on each person or thing.