Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe we’re living in 2012 already isn’t it? As they say, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” Either that or life just goes by faster the older you get. Anyway…
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| Big Ben about ready to strike midnight… the start of a New Year! |
With the New Year comes the making of resolutions or setting goals. I’m more of a goals person myself. I like the idea of having something tangible to work towards. Somehow doing it at the beginning of the year gives me a feeling of starting fresh. It’s a time to re-evaluate where I’ve been this past year and where I want to go this year.
My only problem with setting goals is that I usually forget about them or give up on them by February. It’s frustrating. I have a few goals in mind for this year, knowing that I’ll probably forget them in a few weeks or that God will totally change course on me before this year is over.
In light of that, a blogging friend of mine shared about the One Word 365 challenge for the New Year. The challenge? Pick one word that “sums up who you want to be or how you want to live or what you want to achieve by the end of 2012.” One of the reasons for only picking one word is that it’s easy to remember and you can focus on that one word the entire year.
So this morning I found myself once again evaluating my goals for 2012. Was there a theme that summed up all of my goals? I’m not certain.
During our devotions this morning, Leon and I read from Philippians 4.
“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:11-13 (ESV)
For some reason, these verses really struck me as the theme of my goals this year. The word that I pulled out of these verses to summarise my goals? It’s not contentment, but intentional. Yes, I know, it’s probably strange… and not what you were thinking at all. However, these verses have a lot of intention in them. Think about it… you have to be pretty intentional about remaining content when faced with adversity!
The reason I chose the word intentional is because I let things slide toward the end of last year. I didn’t give the kind of care I should have to a lot of things, and those things have suffered as a result. I don’t want that to happen again this year. So I’m going to focus on being intentional and (most importantly) pleasing God (2 Corinthians 5:9).
Have you made New Year’s resolutions for 2012? What one word would sum up who you want to be, how you want to live or what you want to achieve by the end of this year?
Please join me in this challenge!
