Happy New Year, friends and fam! I’m excited to share my 2021 word of the year with you. This is something new for me and will replace my traditional “New Year’s resolution.”
A word of the year is a singular theme you can revisit throughout the year to help guide your actions and decisions while keeping you positive and inspired. When you choose your word, it’s helpful to consider what God is calling you toward in the new year. You may come to this word through quiet prayer, praise & worship, or scripture study.
Too Many Expectations
In the past, I’ve made a long list of New Year’s resolutions for myself (including bullet points on how I would achieve each of them). This was particularly characteristic of my achievement-driven, perfection-seeking, high-reaching personality. However, I’m less interested in seeking perfection and achievement than I have been in previous years.
Like most of us, 2020 changed me. The challenges of the past year have given me a new perspective and eased me out of my unrealistic expectations. Ok, “eased out of” isn’t exactly accurate. It sometimes felt like 2020 was catapulting me away from my expectations and fast pitching me every unexpected curveball I never thought possible.
My 2021 Word of the Year: Receive
So, I’ve simplified my 2021 New Year’s resolution to a single word. As a writer, I do believe that words are powerful, so I chose this word carefully. I prayed and listened for what God would put on my heart. The word was continually repeated in my mind: RECEIVE.
At first, the word seemed odd and unfitting. I questioned it. Receive? We’re still in the Christmas season, and isn’t this time of year supposed to be all about giving?
But I continued to ponder this word and to reflect on what God might want me to receive in 2021. I started to realize “receiving” is not one of my strengths. I love to give, but when it comes to accepting the kindness or charity of others, I freeze up and feel the urge to reject.
I’m not entirely sure why this is my reaction, but I plan to reflect on it throughout the year and hope to improve on it. Too often, I’ve pushed away good things because I felt I wasn’t good enough to have them or that I needed to earn them first. I pray that I will be more open to receiving the gifts God freely offers me.
A Verse on Receiving
This brings me to the Bible verse I’ve paired with my 2021 word of the year:
We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the things freely given us by God.
1 Corinthians 2:12
Not only is it important to be open to receiving what God freely gives to us as his beloved children, but to also recognize the gifts and give thanks in return. This will be my focus in 2021.
Do you have a theme, word, or resolution for 2021? Share it with me in the comments!
Have a blessed New Year!