How to Choose a Spiritual Word to Guide You in the New Year
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I love to approach the new year with a fresh perspective by asking the Lord for a word to focus on and grow with. It’s a spiritual discipline that gives focus to the year ahead and direction for spiritual growth.
In secular terms, we might think of words like “success” or “promotion.” In spiritual terms this practice of choosing a word looks much different. It’s not about climbing a ladder or looking back at the end of the year and seeing how much you’ve accomplished. It’s more about choosing a word that focuses and shapes the heart to grow closer in a relationship with Jesus. So let’s get started!
I am going to give you a question to ask yourself, along with a few example words to take your spiritual life to new heights this year. First, ask yourself – What is God teaching me right now? Maybe you are in a waiting season, or a trusting season. Your life might feel turned upside down, or maybe recent loss has you grieving something you never imagined. If we turn to God’s Word in these difficult times, we can find the peace, patience, joy, and comfort we need to take the next step forward.
I just gave you four possible words you could claim as your spiritual word for the year. But let’s break it down word by word and verse by verse so you can find one that fits just right.
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1. Peace
“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3).
If you struggle with anxiety or worry, this one is for you. It’s a daily choice to practice peace and accept the truth that peace is possible. It is a mental and spiritual discipline to trust the peace of God in each situation in your life.
While this sounds good, actually doing it is difficult. It is letting God’s Word be so present in your mind that you choose to trust what God says is true. When He says you can be at peace, you begin to believe it. You remember the truth that He is the Prince of Peace. And you give yourself the gift of allowing yourself to receive the peace He freely offers you.
If every night you wrestle with what might happen tomorrow or replay all the events of today in your mind again, this word might be the one for you this year.
2. Patience
“Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14).
I have no doubt this one will most likely be the least popular yet the most needed. We often find ourselves in the waiting room of life, hoping for the next season to break through. We are waiting for the right job, the right amount of money, the right decision-making skills, the right level of ability, the right person, or the right door to open.
Having patience is not something most of us are good at. Waiting on God’s timing is often difficult because His ways and time do not align with what we think should be happening. Disappointed, we find ourselves waiting and wondering if God even heard our need.
He did hear. And if you are in a season of waiting, this one is for you! Take the challenge and choose this word – patience. Let God strengthen your heart this year.
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3. Joy
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).
When life gets heavy, one of the first things to be compromised is often our joy. Smiling, laughing, and being at peace with ourselves and God isn’t something that always comes easy, especially if life is handing us difficult circumstances. But joy is something we can practice and choose to participate in each day.
Moment by moment we can make the decision to choose joy over the things that cause us stress, worry, or concern. If you struggle to smile, this one might be your word this year.
4. Comfort
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).
Sometimes life is less than comforting. Loss, hardship, relationship struggles, and uncertainty can bring insecurity or grief that is difficult to overcome. Choosing this word won’t take all the bad away and wrap you up in a warm blanket, giving you all the cozy vibes of a fireplace and a light sprinkling of snow. But it will help you exercise your faith muscle in a way that seeks God as the one true comforter.
If life has been full of loss or grief, this one is for you!
5. Abide
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
Life is busy. If you resonate with a schedule that is cram packed, too many things on your to-do list, and never enough time in the day, abide might be a good choice for you!
Abiding with Jesus simply means to dwell with Him. It gives us the idea of slowing down and residing in one place long enough to experience growth. Abiding is the foundational practice of walking with God. It’s staying close, receiving what God has for you and not doing your own thing aside from the Lord. If you need a closer walk with God this year, choose to abide.
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6. Courage
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
Has God put something big on your heart to do this year? You feel it deeply in your soul, but fear keeps creeping in and convincing you that you can’t do it. Maybe you’ve even convinced yourself the dream is too big, the job is too difficult, and the task at hand seems impossible. You need to focus your heart and mind on courage in the Lord. Remind yourself that without Christ you can do nothing, but with Him you don’t have anything to fear. You can do it! But you need courage.
7. Gratitude
“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Colossians 3:15).
There is popular worship song with this title that I often play on repeat. Gratitude is often the antidote to anxiety. Making a gratitude list every day can change your entire perspective on life. If you struggle with worry and always seem to find the negative things in your situation, try making a daily gratitude list this year.
I love this verse because it talks first about peace, and then Paul so eloquently closes the statement with “and be thankful.” The gratitude is the action that makes peace possible.
8. Wisdom
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).
Do you have big decisions coming up this year? Are you faced with a change in your life season or stage? Are people looking to you for guidance or direction? In these situations, we need supernatural wisdom. The only place it can be found is in asking the Lord for it with a sincere heart.
If you don’t know what is coming next for you or if you are looking hard into a new season of life, let wisdom from God be your guide this year.
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9. Kindness
“But love your enemies, do good, and lend hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil” (Luke 6:35).
There are certain times of the year when kindness gets a lot of attention. I think of the holidays and the spirit of giving. But this doesn’t come naturally for most of us. Children have to be taught to be kind. And take one drive down a major highway or in a major city at rush hour and you will find a lot of unkindness going on.
If you feel your heart being pulled towards random acts of kindness or the need to love those who have done you wrong or don’t have anything to give back, your word of the year might be kindness.
10. Freedom
“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17).
If you’ve been around church or spiritual people in your life, there are groups and denominations that lean towards a work-based faith that tends to get people checking boxes and hoping to do enough good to outweigh their bad. This isn’t a biblical concept, and it can get pretty messy if we start striving only to check off the good person to-do list.
If your focus has been on checking off the boxes and not on Jesus, your word for this year might need to be freedom. If we walk with Christ, there is great liberty. This doesn’t mean there is freedom to sin, but there is freedom to do all the things God has called you to. Don’t let the to-do list keep you from the person of Jesus. Run to Him and walk with Him freely. Take off the pressure to perform and let Him guide you to the disciplines and daily routines He has for you, rather than a man-made set of rules and regulations.
Take a quick look through our list of words, and ask God which one is for you:
Joy
Comfort
Abide
Courage
Gratitude
Wisdom
Kindness
Freedom
Now grab hold of your word and verse! Write it down somewhere you will see it every day. Post it on your mirror, refrigerator, make a phone screensaver, put it on your dash in the car. Each morning remind yourself what God is saying to you through your word and verse this year. You can grow closer to God and you can make positive changes in your life today, simply by choosing a heart-focused spiritual word this year! I would love to hear what word you picked!
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