Word for the Year

Melissa Logsdon – January 2, 2024 3 Comments

I used to do New Year’s Resolutions.

As many resolutions go…I’d get to the end of the year and realize that despite my best efforts (or really none at all) I had not met what I THOUGHT was so important to see come to fruition in my life for that year.

One year, a friend shared with me this concept of a “word for the year”. She would pray and ask God to give her a word for the year. Opening herself up to the truth God wanted her to embrace in her life in the new year. 

Maybe you do this as well.

The first time I tried it out, I thought of it as just another new year’s resolution. But, much to my surprise, it was not like my other resolutions at all! I wasn’t “resolving” to make this change in my life, but rather allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to me and make it a reality for me. 

Through this process, I’ve seen my life transform in beautiful ways.

(Honestly, some years I forget to pause, to set aside the time to seek God’s perspective for my year. But it’s not like I’m a failure if it doesn’t happen on January 1! Anytime I stop and pause in God’s presence, to seek truth for the journey, is a good time!) 

A few years ago, my word was “Victorious”. I was feeling anything but victorious. Nor did I believe that a victorious life was something in the cards for that season. AND YET… Jesus said that I was already Victorious in Him! That before God, I am seen as Victorious. No amount of failures, struggles of faith, disabling health concerns, etc. could negate this word over my life. No amount of the “reality” of my circumstances could negate this truth of who I am in Jesus. Even though I didn’t see how this could be true, I began to pray and trust God to reveal the truth of this Word to me. And slowly it became true in my heart and mind, even when nothing was changing in my external situation. In fact, from this meditation on this word came my beloved “And Yet” faith philosophy:

 “Yet even in the midst of all these things, we triumph over them all, for God has made us to be more than conquerors, and his demonstrated love is our glorious victory over everything!” (Romans 8:37 TPT) 

Last month, I felt God leading me to pursue the Christmas season with “Simplicity”. And then, to pray for my life to be “Manageable”. That God longed to teach me a better way to do life, work, and ministry. Along with this word, Jesus has given me the following verse to meditate on for 2024:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30 MSG)

May you, too, live in Jesus’ unforced rhythms of grace in 2024!

–Melissa Logsdon, Associate Pastor