Have you picked your Word of the Year yet for 2014? I’ve never had a Word of the Year before, but decided to choose one for 2014. I love the whole idea of focusing on one word for an entire twelve months and making real changes in your life and heart based on that word. I’ve been reading lots of blog posts from some of my blogging friends and favorite bloggers with their Word of the Year choices, and I’ve been inspired by words like Refresh, Breathe, Dignity, Grace, Forgiveness, Deliberate, Focus, and Persevere.
It’s interesting to see the different words that people choose. Some try to focus on a word that brings them comfort or relief, while others choose words that are an action that they hope to achieve, or a character trait. I’ve been pondering my Word of the Year for a few weeks now, and finally settled on a word that challenges me in two separate areas of my life. Are you ready?! Drum roll, please. My Word of the Year for 2014 is UNASHAMED.
I want to strive this year to be completely and without hesitation unashamed of my Savior and unashamed of my past.
I’ve made HUGE strides the past few years in the latter, but I still struggle on occasion with letting the shame of my past overshadow the work God has for me in the present. I am striving to let God use me in any way He desires, and that requires me to be UNASHAMED, to embrace my past as a tool that equips me for the work.
I ran across this image on fellow Tommy Nelson Mommy blogger Rachel Wojo’s Facebook page recently, and was reminded of my need to be UNASHAMED in this area of my life. So for 2014, I am striving to work harder in this area, and let God use me to my fullest capacity. I don’t want to be an obstacle in my own path. I desire to be UNASHAMED.
I’ve been a Christian for most of my life, and I don’t think anyone who knows me would consider me to be ashamed of my faith. On the contrary really. But what they don’t see are the twinges of panic that I feel most of the time when faced with an opportunity to share my faith with someone. It’s an obstacle that keeps me from saying the words that God puts in my heart, the truth that I am blessed to live by. It’s not so much that I am ashamed of Him, but that I fear how they will react to what I have to say. I fear though, that it’s a fine line between those two. I’ll arrive at a moment where the Holy Spirit nudges me to share the gospel with a person that I encounter, and instead of being UNASHAMED, allowing myself to be vulnerable to the experience of sharing my faith, I hesitate and choose my words carefully. Normally, I will share anyway, in spite of my fear, but I often wonder if my hesitation affects the way they believe and accept what I’m saying as truth. I think it does, and for that reason, I am striving in 2014 to be even more UNASHAMED of my Heavenly Father, sharing Him with those He places in my path, without hesitation or fear, so that they may see Him in me!
Now that I’ve chosen a Word of the Year, what am I going to do? Well, since I’m a newbie at this Word of the Year thing, I’ve decided to stick to what I know best – sticky notes! I am going to plaster this word all over my house, in places that I frequent, and in those I don’t. I’m seriously considering getting a personalized piece of jewelry with UNASHAMED on it, to be even a greater daily reminder. I have lots of ideas on how to use this word in my life throughout the next twelve months, and I’m excited to get started!
What about you? Do you have a Word of the Year? What inspired you to choose your word?
