one word: righteousness
My one word.
It's a book and a DVD series. But more, it's a concept that's catching.
And it's simple: pick one word for you for this year. One focus. One ambition. One goal. Rather than writing a lofty list of resolutions, select carefully one word.
Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts, chose "{with} in" for 2013, studying what it means to not only be with Christ but "in Christ" and Christ "in me."
For me, it wasn't intentional--the one word thing. What was intentional was obedience to the Spirit goading me toward more consistent time in the Word. I started again with Psalms.
Instead of looking to understand every nuance or to delve deeply into the minutae, I limited myself to 3-5 words to incapsulate each psalm.
God started bringing out concepts, and by the fourth psalm, I was already seeing a lot about "righteousness."
Then on Sunday, the Spirit synchronized two other passages to what He'd already been highlighting in my Psalms reading. A teacher taught, mentioned the verses, but made other points, while the Spirit whispered, "There it is again. That word. Look again!"
Matthew 6:33, that familiar, singable verse: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God ... " and there it was, bolder than I'd seen it before ... "and His righteousness...." Jesus commanded that I set my priority on seeking, studying out righteousness.
Then over to Hebrews 5:14 talking about the one that should be spiritually at a point of being a teacher but is instead back to needing the basics retaught to him ... or her. The one who "lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness."
And my one word resolve became obvious.
Righteousness.
His righteousness, first! What righteousness is, what it looks like fleshed out. And that great exchange, by His gracious choice and just accounting--His righteousness imputed to my account. My righteousness--filthy stinking rags; yet Jesus' perfect righteousness made mine.
Righteousness. My one word. 2013.
I have a lot of really great stuff to think on, to study. Yes, I have a lot to learn.
michelle
It's a book and a DVD series. But more, it's a concept that's catching.
And it's simple: pick one word for you for this year. One focus. One ambition. One goal. Rather than writing a lofty list of resolutions, select carefully one word.
Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts, chose "{with} in" for 2013, studying what it means to not only be with Christ but "in Christ" and Christ "in me."
For me, it wasn't intentional--the one word thing. What was intentional was obedience to the Spirit goading me toward more consistent time in the Word. I started again with Psalms.
Instead of looking to understand every nuance or to delve deeply into the minutae, I limited myself to 3-5 words to incapsulate each psalm.
God started bringing out concepts, and by the fourth psalm, I was already seeing a lot about "righteousness."
Then on Sunday, the Spirit synchronized two other passages to what He'd already been highlighting in my Psalms reading. A teacher taught, mentioned the verses, but made other points, while the Spirit whispered, "There it is again. That word. Look again!"
Matthew 6:33, that familiar, singable verse: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God ... " and there it was, bolder than I'd seen it before ... "and His righteousness...." Jesus commanded that I set my priority on seeking, studying out righteousness.
Then over to Hebrews 5:14 talking about the one that should be spiritually at a point of being a teacher but is instead back to needing the basics retaught to him ... or her. The one who "lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness."
And my one word resolve became obvious.
Righteousness.
His righteousness, first! What righteousness is, what it looks like fleshed out. And that great exchange, by His gracious choice and just accounting--His righteousness imputed to my account. My righteousness--filthy stinking rags; yet Jesus' perfect righteousness made mine.
Righteousness. My one word. 2013.
I have a lot of really great stuff to think on, to study. Yes, I have a lot to learn.
michelle
