Word of the Year

I'm over a week late, but HAPPY NEW YEAR! The new year is a time for new beginnings. New chances, new opportunities. New year, new me, right? Some people have New Year’s resolutions. Some people have general, yearly goals. Some people have a word. I am one of those people. Selecting the “right word” can be a challenge. You want to pick a word that’s just right, a word that you think you can stick to.

When trying to choose my word, I spent a lot of time thinking. That was my problem, thinking. In the process, I was forcing words into my brain. Kindness. Grace. Fellowship. All things I think are important, for sure. But none of these seemed like “the one.” Which honestly sounds cheesy. However, this is the human thought process. Everything must be right. Everything must be perfect. After I came to the conclusion that thinking wasn't working for me, I started doing what I should’ve done in the first place. Pray. I prayed, “God, show me a word that I need to focus on this year. Show me what I need to work on this year in order to glorify you more.” Hey, believe it or not, praying worked. Peace. That’s the word I got. Not any of the words I had forced into my head. A word that I wouldn’t have thought of alone. Peace. This year, I will strive to find peace. Peace in God. Peace in myself. Peace in decisions I need to make. Just an overall peace in my everyday life. Finding peace is my goal this year. "Today I choose: calm over my chaos, serenity over stress, peace over perfection, grace over grit, faith over fear." - Mary Davis.

It's so easy to get caught up in stress and anxiety. It's so easy to stress about things like grades, college, and the future, along with many other things. Throughout life, we will go through many trials. We will have to make decisions, good and bad, easy and hard. The best way to handle stressful situations is by giving them to God. By letting go and trusting in Him fully. By having peace in knowing God is in control. Honestly, this is something I have a very hard time doing. Letting go of control is a very hard thing for me to do. I want to be "in the loop" and I want to make all my decisions firsthand. I want to know what exactly is going to happen. I like to have details and plans. However, we can't always have all of these things. Sometimes, we need to relax and let the Lord take over.

John 14:27 reads, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." Let's break that verse down. First things first, this verse is something Jesus was telling the disciples. These words came straight from Him. It begins with, "peace I leave with you; my peace I give you." Y'all, Jesus gives us HIS peace. The literal Prince of Peace gives us His peace. Yet we cast it aside and worry about everything! We have one of the greatest gifts. We have the peace of Jesus, we just have to put it to use. Next, the verse says, "I do not give to you as the world gives." We aren't supposed to conform to the patterns of this world. Romans 12:2 tells us that. This verse just furthers that statement. This world is corrupt. It only supplies us stress and anxiety. However, we serve a wonderful God who supplies us with a peace that can be found nowhere else. "Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid," reads the last portion of this verse. In this simple statement, Jesus is telling us to not be afraid. To not let our hearts be troubled. He's telling us that He's got this.

"Seek peace and pursue it," reads Psalm 34:14. Seek peace. Pursue peace. This year, I will seek peace through God, and I will passionately pursue it.

Here are some more verses that are either about peace or supply peace:

~ "I am with you always." - Matthew 28:20

~ "Be still and know that I am with you." - Psalm 46:10

~ "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

~ "When you go through deep waters, I will be with you." - Isaiah 43:2

~ "Don't worry about anything. Instead pray about everything." - Philippians 4:6

~ "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." - Colossians 3:15

~ "For God is not a God of disorder, but a God of peace." - 1 Corinthians 14:33

~ "He will be our peace" - Micah 5:5

~ "A heart at peace gives life to the body." - Proverbs 14:30

~ "May the God of hope fill you with all the joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." - Romans 15:13