My friend Alece is spearheading an idea on her blog called One Word 2011.
The concept is that rather than make all kinds of New Year’s resolutions that you probably won’t keep, to instead carefully and thoughtfully select “one word” to focus on for the year. One Word that challenges you, inspires you, spurs you on, focuses you, stretches you… but just One Word. You can read more of her thoughts about it on her blog and GritAndGlory.com.
While I know she’s done it before, to be perfectly honest, I don’t know if she came up with the idea herself, or if this is something people have been doing everywhere for years. But it is the first time I’ve ever heard of it.
The more I thought about it, if I were to have used One Word to describe 2010, it would have been: Awaken.
Awaken is a verb that means to rouse from sleep; cause to stop sleeping; make someone aware (of something) for the first time. In a number of ways, that is exactly what occurred in my life in 2010… a great awakening from my soul’s sleep.
So, entering 2011, after some careful thought, prayer and consideration, my One Word for 2011 is…
ENGAGE
it is active, not passive
it is proactive, not reactive
it is passionate, not apathetic
ENGAGE is an action word, meaning to:
establish a meaningful contact or connection with
participate or become involved in
move into position so as to come into operation
cause someone to become involved
enter into conflict or combat with an adversary
Embracing last year’s awakening, building on the new foundation being laid in my life, in 2011 I want to…
ENGAGE the story God is writing with my life like never before
ENGAGE mentors and others to pour into me
ENGAGE those around me and challenge them to do the same
ENGAGE in more opportunities to pour my life out
ENGAGE a pursuit of justice, understanding great justice I have received
ENGAGE gifts, talents and abilities that have been lying dormant
ENGAGE my heart in the daily battle for its affections
ENGAGE those I lead, equipping and empowering them to be great
ENGAGE the communities I am part of to passionately invest in one another
ENGAGE my fears, insecurities and limitations
ENGAGE the Gospel that I have awoken to
Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith– that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on [ENGAGE] to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. [Philippians 3:8-12]
That is what I want my 2011 to look like, and I’ll blog about how ENGAGE plays out as a central theme throughout the year.
I’m excited about this journey!
You can check out others’ #OneWord2011 posts here.
Do you have One Word for 2011?
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