Selecting Your One Word

Last week we started a new series, My One Word. Goals and resolutions overwhelm us. When we don’t keep them we feel like a failure and become more overwhelmed. Words are powerful. You already know the power of a single word. Thanks. Failure. Yes. No. Love. Hate. Recovery. Sin. Grace. Brick by brick words construct. Like an explosion words can destruct. Great power exists in words.

Last week I talked about choosing your word. Hundreds of you have done so already. You have picked some great words. Balance. Gratitude. Strength. Patience. Hope. Less. Near. Now. Pause. Reflect. Forgiven. Give. And so many others. For some it was easy. Others had to work hard. Some are still working and that is good. You will live with this word for a while. Make it meaningful.

My word is abide.

My heart will abide and dwell in God’s love


My mind will abide and remain in God’s Word


I will seek to always abide and be present with God

If you missed last week—this will be new to you. I encourage you to watch last week’s message online, download it and listen to it on your phone, or pick up a CD on Sundays and listen in your car. Below is the resource we used to guide us in selecting our word.

Selecting My One Word

1. What type of person do you want to become? This is one of life’s most important questions and lets you be intentional and proactive in developing a vision for your life. Write down some words.

2. What type of person do you believe God wants you to become? And what are some things God wants you to believe? Another of life’s most important questions. Write down some more words.

3. Consider some of these words: Faith. Bold. Forgive. Forgiven. Integrity. Simplify. Release. Hope. Courage. Discipline. Generosity. Influence. Pray. Purpose. Peace. Blessed. Joy. Grace. Positive. Obedient. Patient. Grateful. Acceptance. Listen. Be. Surrender. Abide. Love. Health. Balance. Focus. Rest. Trust. Present. Depend. Your word doesn’t have to come from this list, but they are some words to get you thinking. Add to #1 and #2 as you feel led.

4. Circle the words that appear in both #1 and #2. Although your word doesn’t have to be one of the words that is circled – if you want to become something and God wants you to become something – the circled words are excellent candidates to become your one word.

5. Describe the characteristics of the kind of person you want to become or the kind of person God wants you to become. Write these words down. More possibilities and more focus.

6. Narrow your list to two to five words. The opposite of vision is not blindness, but being scattered. Focus is essential to getting things done. Spiritual formation requires concentration. Elimination has to come before concentration. You will need to say “no” to some pretty good words.

7. Pray about your focus and word for 2014. Ask for guidance and direction.

8. Choose your one word. For some it will come very easily. For others this will take some work. If one word doesn’t emerge in a day or in a few days. Take a week or a few weeks. We still have lots of living to do in 2014.

This week I’ll begin to talk about how to use our words for character formation and spiritual development.

The best is yet to come…

Craig