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I may be a little late to the party on the concept of “Word of the Year.” I had never heard that term before a couple of weeks ago when one of my FaceBook friends posted about their word last year and how God used it to bless her in a manner very different than she had expected. Since then, I have seen a few other people talk about prayerfully selecting a word for the year as opposed to making New Year resolutions.

Recently I received an email from DaySpring inviting me to find my Word of the Year for 2019 so I decided to check it out.

The following is taken directly from DaySpring’s website:

Here it is, January.
Another new year and the same old question…
“What’s your New Year’s resolution?”
And we all know what happens with resolutions.
They are usually forgotten by mid-February and replaced with a heap of discouragement.
Let’s make 2019 different.
What if you replaced your resolutions with a word?
Just one word to focus on all year.
A word that helps you filter decisions, calm emotions and face each day with resolve.
A word that serves as a reminder of God’s truth in your life and inspires you to live your faith each and every day.
A word based on God’s Word.

DaySpring provides seven multiple-choice questions. How you answer those questions generates a custom word to guide you in living out 2019 in an intentional way.

I took the quiz and at first was a little surprised at the word, but the more I thought about it, it does seem like a good choice for me for the year.

My word was Courage.

My first thought was that I don’t need courage, I’m not really afraid of anything. I trust in God to protect me no matter what I might face.

Then the next Sunday (by coincidence, or maybe not! 😊) our pastor spoke on Joshua 1. God tells Joshua three times in the first nine verses “Be strong and courageous.”

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9

Our pastor stated that “God isn’t just giving you strength and courage so you can go out and accomplish all your plans. He’s giving you strength and courage so you can go out and accomplish all of His plans” and “If you are going to step into the blessings of God in 2019, then you’ll need to be strong and courageous.” (Titus Green – FBCMI)

There are many more verses in the Bible that talk about courage.

Moses told the nation of Israel, “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

David advised his son, Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.” (1 Chronicles 28:20)

In Psalms: “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?” (Psalm 56:3-4)

In Isaiah: “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

These are just a few that jumped out at me when I begin thinking about the word courage and how maybe it was a fitting word for me after all. I do often lack courage. I don’t think of myself as being afraid, but certainly anxious at times about certain things. We are speaking this Friday night at a marriage seminar and I am anxious. I don’t often get up in front of people to speak. In my previous position at work, I would make technical presentations but I don’t even do much of that anymore. “Be strong and courageous.” Those are words that I needed to hear this week.

As we are following God’s guidance with Truth That Inspires and branching out with His word, I need to remember to “be strong and courageous.”

As I face changes and uncertainties at work, I need to remember to “be strong and courageous.”

As we will be traveling overseas this summer, I need to remember to “be strong and courageous.”

As I babysit my strong-willed almost two-year-old granddaughter, sometimes I need to remember to “be strong and courageous!” 😊

Yes, “courage” is a good word for me to claim as my word for this year. I’m excited to see how God uses it to bless me and draw me closer to Him

Do you have a word of the year? We’d love for you to share your word with us and what it means to you. Scroll down and add a comment for everyone to see, or send us a private message from the Contact Us page.