This past year has been an interesting one for me. In one year I worked multiple jobs, was a wife, a mom to two sweet doggy babies, completed my student teaching experience, graduated, searched for a job, celebrated mine and David’s 1 year wedding anniversary, got a job at an awesome school, searched to buy a house, bought a house, had our old house broken into, moved into our new house, wondered if we’d have to put one of our dogs down because of a surgery, started teaching, and next thing I knew, it was the end of the year. All-in-all, it was a crazy year, but by the end, I realized I had done most of it without really letting God in on much.
Towards the end of the year, though, God really started calling me out on a few things. I learned a lot about my character through my job as a teacher, and he began showing me some issues going on in my heart that I needed to release over to Him.
The following is a summary of the things He is beginning to show me and change in my heart:
1) I can’t just go through life saying I’m a “Christian,” but not do anything that reflects that– is my heart really different? Do my life and actions (even when people AREN’T looking) show that I am really and truly changed and excited about what God has done for me?
James 1:22-25 (ESV)–
“22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts,he will be blessed in his doing.”
James 2:14-26 (ESV)–
“14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[a] is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Eventhe demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”
2) Be aware of everything I do– act out of discipline and self-control rather than emotion…breaking bad habits.
Proverbs 5:23 (ESV)–
“He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray.”
Hebrews 12:11 (ESV)–
“11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (ESV)–
“24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control,[a] lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)–
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
2 Peter 1:5-7 (ESV)–
“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.”
3) Be joyful in ALL circumstances, no matter what, even when I’m stressed and don’t feel like it. My worth and life come from Jesus Christ and in His salvation- NOTHING else.
Psalm 16:11 (ESV)–
“11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Romans 14:17 (ESV)–
“17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
James 1: 2-4 (ESV)–
“2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
4) And finally, to be responsible, and take responsibility for all my actions rather than trying to push it off on someone else or making excuses.
So, to sum up, I know it’s just supposed to be 1 word…but I had 3. And my 3 words for the year are:
1) Discipline
2) Joy
3) Responsibility
For more info on the One Word project- check out the website.
God bless, and go #dosomething.