It took me some time to come up with a Word for 2020. Usually, a word comes easily to me. Many times I know in December what my word will be. This year, I just couldn't figure it out. I had a couple different words, but I just wasn't sure. I really didn't feel like God was leading me to a specific theme for the year.
The words I had written down just didn't seem possible. Words like rest and peace and still and live, all sounded good and all sounded like things I wanted...I just wasn't sure how I would live them out.
When I looked towards 2020, all I could see was busy, full, committed...
In 2020, we have many commitments including politics, campaigning, helping with the local homeschool co-op (I am also teaching this semester), hosting a reader's retreat, VBS, graduations of close friends and family, a major election, work, family, to name just a few.
So how was I going to choose a word like peace or still? It really didn't seem possible or practical. It seemed like I would just be setting myself up for failure.
But I then felt God pointing me to the word "peace."
Could this really be the word for 2020? I didn't really want it to be. It seems too hard. (And besides "vision" would be a much cooler word for 2020!)
But yes, "peace" is my word for 2020. God made it quite clear to me. And in kind of a round about way.
I recently read this article from DaySpring called A Prayer for Peace. I would recommend you read it for yourself, but I really enjoyed this line from it, “God’s peace comes when we accept His amazing love and respect His mighty power, when we allow Him to direct our steps and soothe our broken hearts, when we acknowledge Him and sit with Him and turn to Him when the winds start to blow.”
Another part of the journey to peace was this challenge I was feeling to seek gratitude, to make an effort every day to be thankful. I heard a couple sermons and even a workshop that mentioned these verses from Philippians 4:4-9 (ESV):
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (highlighting is my own.)
Somehow I had never connected the "do not be anxious" with "prayer...and thanksgiving" and ultimately, with "the peace of God."
It was like all of a sudden I saw the big picture!
I had recently been reading about the Enneagram and I think I fall in the "6" category. It was bothering me because the downside of a "6" is worry or fear. (Probably the fact that it was "worrying" me confirms that I am a "6.") Anyway, I don't want to live in that place of worry, but in a place of peace. So this year, I am choosing "peace" because I don't want worry to be a part of my life. I want the worries of this world to fade away. I want my focus to be on Jesus. I want to always remember that He cares for me.
1 Peter 5:7
...casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Jesus is our Prince of peace and He offers us peace. He has overcome the world!
John 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
There are so many scriptures that talk about peace. So many reminders from God's Word about the peace He offers and the peace we can have as Christians. I pray that as you go into 2020, you, too, will find peace, true peace that comes from Jesus.
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Over the next year, I hope to share some more scripture on peace. Stay tuned!
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I will also be posting about my New Year's Resolutions.
