The Power of One Word

Have you ever thought about the power of one word? I came across the concept of choosing a yearly theme word a few years ago, and I’ve been hooked ever since (you can read more about that here). The growth I’ve seen in my own life has been tremendous, and it has provided a treasure trove of collected words and accompanying Bible verses that have become part of my story. I don’t look at these particular words the same anymore, because the depth and richness of their meanings combined with the numerous ways they have transformed my life have completely changed them for me.
Have I convinced you yet?

Every year around December, I begin praying and asking the Lord to give me a word for the coming new year. It’s always a word in a particular area where I need to grow. For example, in years past, I’ve chosen the words ‘Joy’ and ‘Freedom’ as my theme word. And these are two areas where I have grown tremendously! My word for 2019 is ‘Intentional’, and my theme verse for the year is Ephesians 5:15-17. And each of my goals fits nicely under the umbrella of being intentional! 

Why not pray and ask the Lord to give you a word and verse for 2019? Here are just a few ways that one word can change your year:

1. Focus

It’s tempting to choose 20 different New Year’s resolutions or set many goals at the beginning of a new year. The power of choosing one word is that it provides laser like focus for your brain. Let’s say you want to eat healthy, stop wasting time on social media, build closer friendships, and spend more time with your kids. All of these can seem daunting to try to remember or figure out which one to focus on first. If, however, you decided to choose a word like ‘Purposeful’ for the year, it encompasses each of these goals in its definition. Every time you think of one of your goals, your theme word will provide the focus to stick with them.

2. Simplicity

Similar to focus, one word provides simplicity. Studies show that if our goals are too complex, it makes them much harder to accomplish. The old acronym K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) definitely applies when it comes to goal-setting, and you can’t get much simpler than one word! The simplicity of one word will help your brain keep its focus, like we mentioned above.

3. Results

The Collection of words and verses becomes a record of lessons learned and spiritual milestones in one’s life. They provide very brief yet powerful summaries of your year in review. Rather than get to the end of the year and feel as though you have nothing to show for it, you can look back with gratitude on how much you’ve grown and how you accomplished your goals. You can also look forward to a new year with anticipation as you choose a new area of focus. That’s the power of one word. It can produce incredible results!

How about it? Will you choose one word and see how the Lord will use it in your life this next year? By the way, this is also a great exercise to do as a family! Kids and teens love figuring out what their one word will be, and it provides a great prayer focus for each member of the family!