Just One Word By Cortney Donelson

Psalm 45:7
“You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”

Words are powerful.

I started a new tradition last year. Rather than struggling to keep a New Year’s resolution through 365 days of pure torture, I opted to live by a “Word of the Year.” This word would guide my decisions, my thoughts, my actions, and even my reactions. My word for 2012 was “PEACE.” An unknown individual once made this statement: “Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work; it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.” I invite you to take a step back with me into my year of peace…

The past 18 months started off hard. There really is no other way to describe it. There were countless people who had stepped all over my heartstrings, and I was struggling to forgive them. There was leftover chaos from moving my son to a new school and rebuilding his confidence and self-esteem. Our kids were yelling at each other on an hourly basis. We were engaged in too many activities, creating an atmosphere of endless running. My house was a mess. My husband and I were “two ships passing in the night” as we tag-teamed taxi services for after-school activities and attended our own evening meetings. Friends – with whom I don’t know what I would do without – watched our children many evenings as we continued this crazy schedule. On January 1, I said, “enough.”

I adopted the idea of living with the peace of Christ in order to end the family chaos and move on with the forgiveness that eluded me. This peace was never going to be something I could accomplish alone. God was going to be an integral part of this new plan for our family. For the next 12 months, with every decision my husband and I made, we asked ourselves, “Will this bring peace or more chaos to our home?” We learned to say “no” to activities, groups, and meetings that were not critical to our lives. Our son participated in only one after-school activity at a time, and our preschool-aged daughter could choose one outside hobby as well. Slowly, our lives calmed down enough to breathe.

I sat with God every day and prayed about forgiveness. I knew the bitterness, resentment, anger, and hurt housed in my heart were soaking through my pores, affecting my attitude and stealing my joy. The unforgiveness was hurting me more than those who had wronged me. My prayers for God’s grace and mercy to take over residence in my heart became constant. I knew I had to grab hold of that peace that surpasses the flesh’s understanding – Christ’s Peace – and hold on tight.  

On July 4, I finally accomplished one of the hardest things for many people to do – I forgave the unforgivable. That Independence Day, I was no longer dependent on anger or resentment. Freedom had arrived in a new way. I did not do it alone. God walked me through every step of the process. He did so because I was actively choosing peace rather than revenge and bitterness. In October, a family member who did not know about our “Word of the Year” initiative shared these sentiments with us during a visit: “Your house is so much more peaceful than mine. It’s quiet. It’s nice.” My heart beamed. With God, all things are possible!

This brings me to the New Year – 2013.

Proverbs 12:20 says, “Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy.”

I prayed for a few weeks about which word to choose for 2013. The word “JOY” kept coming to me, but I fought it. It seemed too simple, too cliché. Yet time and time again, God pressed in on me. I sensed He wanted me to have the gift of joy in return for my obedience. One day, God showed me Psalm 45:7, and it all made sense. The work I had done towards removing chaos, slowing down to be with God, creating peace in our home, and forgiving others, was going to lead to something really awesome. “You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of JOY.” 

I am looking forward with great anticipation to my year of joy! Just as with my year of peace, I envision the joy will come from my specific and very intentional decisions and actions, ones that will be continually focused on Christ. For example, I am not so naive to think that living in a year filled with joy will not come with challenges or even sadness. I do not think it means every day will be filled with happiness or that I am responsible for the happiness of others. I anticipate my anointing of joy will show itself in my gratitude for what I do have … those things for which God has blessed me with. No matter what circumstances I find myself in, I can – and will – choose joy and thanksgiving. That is my promise to myself this year.

How about you? Can I challenge you to pray about a word for your life in 2013? I know God will have something incredible in store for you! By God’s design and not my own, my words have come from the fruit of the Spirit. Perhaps yours will too?

Galatians 5:22 (ESV)“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness”

P.S. Have a JOYFUL New Year!

Prayer – Heavenly Father, thank You for my year of peace. I could not have accomplished it without You. I am forever grateful for Your love and the promise to believers for a peace that surpasses all understanding. Even in the midst of anguish, tragedies, struggles, or injustices, we can find that peace that is Yours. I look forward to my year of joy and to how it will glorify You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

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