What's the Word?

     At the end of every year I ask Jonathan what his first word of the next year is going to be. And every year he rolls his eyes. I put a lot of thought into what the first word I usher in the New Year with. It's been something I've done since 7th grade, when my first word was my crush's name. You're likely rolling your eyes now too. When we count down the seconds to midnight on New Years Eve, I am intentionally silent, then when midnight hits, I utter my word, often quietly so people aren't like, "Why did you just say 'Satisfied?'" which was, by the way, my first word of 2020. I like choosing a word for the year, and particularly setting an intention for the year. My heart behind the word satisfied was the desire to be fully satisfied in Christ, to seek out and live out what that meant. If ever there was a year to learn such a thing, 2020 was it because it stripped away most things that we look to for satisfaction. 2020 brought chaos, change, "unprecedented times", fear, loneliness, distance. But God was the same. He is the same. And for that I am grateful. I think I'll spend my whole life seeking out what it means and how to more fully live out satisfaction in Christ, but last year was a growing year in that. 

    And now it's a new year. 2021. And I had already picked my word, and shared it with Jonathan. So then it became our word. And at midnight I spoke that word. And so did he. I was amazed because most years he says something anticlimactic just to playfully mock my intentionality. But this year he joined me because it really is the word on both of our hearts. The word that will set our focus and intention for this year. And the word is stewardship. (Now you see why I whisper the word. LOL) One thing that last year exposed in me was a lack of intentionality in stewarding: my time, my thoughts, my money, my emotions, the list goes on. Part of the  problem is the repeated word in that last sentence: "MY". Psalm 24:1 says, "The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it..." This past year I found myself clinging to all the things in hopes of keeping some type of norm/comfort. We moved away, added a third child, and the craziness of the world invited a certain kinda cling-to-MY-stuff mentality. But I was gently reminded that nothing I have is actually mine; it is simply given to me by God to steward for His glory. There is a difference in responsibility when you are stewarding the belongings of another. The question isn't "What do I want to do?" but rather, "What would He have me do?" Romans 11:36 says, "For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for His glory." The marriage, kids, body, home, finances, time, health, mind, spirit. His. I am humbled that God has entrusted me with so many good gifts. This year I will increasingly ask, "How does God want me to steward..." and fill in the blank. 

    Every year Jonathan and I  set goals. They are usually arranged topically by spiritual goals, physical goals, financial goals, etc. But this year we are focusing each month on a different thing God has entrusted us with and setting goals that encourage better stewardship. For example, January's focus is TIME and our question is "How does God want us to spend the time He has given us?" A few of our January goals are to not sleep in past 7AM all month, to be in the Word each day, and to create/stick to a more structured schedule. Other months we will focus on gospel stewardship, marriage stewardship, children stewardship, financial stewardship, body stewardship, and home stewardship--with each one having its own set of goals. Ultimately, all of the goals reflect our calling: to know God and to make Him known. I hope this encourages you to seek God more this year and consider the many good gifts He has entrusted you with and how He would have you steward them. Next on the blog I'll share about the #1 hindrance in stewardship for me, the reasons I cut it out of my life, and how it's going so far. See ya soon!

Making it matter, 

Laura Jones