A few years ago, I decided to quit making New Year’s resolutions because they always made me feel like such a failure! When I read that several of my writer friends were choosing a word or a phrase to apply to their lives, instead of making resolutions, I immediately liked the idea. This was something I could do and view it as a work in progress rather than either an achievement or a failure.
So I prayed for God’s leading and He pinpointed areas in my life that needed growth. Three years ago, I learned deeper levels of TRUST. Doesn’t mean I never need to be reminded to trust–it just happens more easily because I’ve gotten a lot of practice.
When the second year of using this new concept approached, God impressed on my heart that He wanted me to seek PEACE. So many attributes of Christ go hand in hand with peace, and I’m learning (still a work in progress) to reach out and grasp His peace instead of stressing over little things.
2014 was the year God led me to BE A BLESSING. I would venture to say I wasn’t always a blessing to everyone I met, and again, He is still teaching me. But God showed me how to be a blessing to others by having others be a blessing to me. So I’m learning by example.
This year I’ve asked God to create an awareness in my spirit of the difficulties other people are going through and to learn to show more COMPASSION. We can’t always know the circumstances others are experiencing, but we can take a moment to stop and think, and be slower to judge. When I remember some of the sorrows I’ve walked through and wished people had cut me a little slack, those memories serve to help me keep a more compassionate attitude. People are far more likely to be attracted to Christ and His people when we demonstrate His mercy.
So “my word” for 2015 is COMPASSION. God, please give me a tender heart, a merciful spirit, and a readiness to offer comfort to those You bring into my life.