Jesus, The Word of God, the Word of the Year
Happy 2023! A new year with new beginnings. Many of you are writing out a list of resolutions and/or goals. Clearly, you intend to start the new year with purpose. Some of you have stubbornly refused to generate a list for fear of failure. Perhaps you are one of my people and find goals to be troublesome and painful to create. In addition, there is a group of you who have already decided on just one word to guide you through 2023.
Word of the Year History
I find the word of the year idea a unique phenomenon. I cannot recall any such process when I was child, or even in my college years. Consequently, I did a curiosity-search and discovered that Germany began this idea in 1971. The Word of the Year became a thing in 1990 when the American Dialect Society chose its first Word of the Year, bushlips. Then Merriam Webster published their first word of the year, democracy, in 2003. Oxford University Press joined the party in 2004, and finally, dictionary.com in 2010.
It’s unclear to me when the concept of a word of the year officially transferred to our personal lives. In 2012, Harper Christian Resources published a book and DVD study entitled “My One Word: Change Your Life with Just One Word,” by Michael W. Ashcraft and Rachel Olsen. The very next year, in 2013, John Gordan, Dan Britton, and Jimmy Page co-authored a book entitled “One Word that Will Change Your Life.” Following these publications, it appears a trend was born.
Keeping Perspective
Even before Christmas, my social media feed prompted and prodded me to choose my word of the year for 2023. You can google all sorts of articles and blog posts that will give you step by step instructions on selecting your word of the year. I’m definitely not opposed to having a word of the year, but may I remind you of two Biblical truths to provide some healthy parameters?
We are not in Charge
First of all, we are not the ones who perfect ourselves or our lives. Hebrews 12:1b-2 tells us, “Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus’ work on the cross is what makes us holy, perfecting us. It is by his grace alone that we are able to continually grow in faith.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.”
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 (italics mine for emphasis)
“For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose. Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, by holding firm to the word of life.”
Philippians 2:13-16a (italics mine for emphasis)
Whereas we must put forth effort to listen and follow God’s leading, we are not the ones in charge of the results. Nor do we carry the full weight of responsibility of how we are to change. Our job is to keep our eyes on Jesus, holding firmly to the word of life. God’s job is to do a work in us. He creates us new so we can live into the ministry of reconciliation given to us as children of God who shine like the stars.
Honoring God is the Goal
Second, our goal is not focused on us; our goal is to honor God alone. Remember, Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5, God is making us new. But God isn’t transforming us so we can be proud of ourselves or feel better about our abilities or accomplishments. If you continue on 2 Corinthians 5, verse 20 reads, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, ‘Be reconciled to God.’”
As God’s ambassadors, we are always representing who He is. For example, we pursue His purpose and desire to reconcile others to Him. Furthermore, we continually point to the mercy, goodness, and love of our Savior. We accomplish this by treating others with the same mercy, goodness and love God gives us.
The Word Made Flesh
John begins his gospel with these words, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus Christ is The Word of God. He is the embodiment of all God has ever said, and all God is. If a picture really is worth 1000 words, Jesus is the human portrayal that gives form to at least one thousand words from God.
Perhaps, instead of frantically decoding what our word of the year could be, we should search to know The Word himself. Think about the wondrous year 2023 could be if we seek to let the Word of Christ dwell in us (Colossians 3:16). Envision who we would be if we placed our hope in God’s Word (Psalm 119:114). Imagine the words we will hear from the Father as we engage with The Word and experience “the radiance of God’s glory” in our lives (Hebrews 1:2-3).
God may graciously and generously grant you a word of the year. My prayer is you will see The Word Himself in the word you are given. My request to the Almighty on your behalf is you will not seek to make yourself better, but you will know Jesus with greater intimacy.
May 2023 be the Year of The Word.
Happy New Year Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
“Holding firmly to the word of life.” When I read that I had to re-read it. It is the point of your choice for your word of the year that spoke to me. Jesus is the only one to look to, to keep in sight no matter what I do this year or what else happens. Trusting Jesus.
I love your phrase “Jesus is the only one…to keep in sight no matter what…” It’s a wonderful visual! Thanks for sharing.