But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)

Instead of making New Year’s resolutions, I choose a word for the year. I use this word to focus on an area of my life where I believe the Lord wants to make changes or have me grow. In the past, I’ve chosen words such as trust, focus, compassion, bold, and renew. Last year, my word was create.

For the last two years, God has revealed my word to me more slowly than before. I often have my word for the year in November or the first week of January at the latest. I wrote a blog post about my struggle to find the right word. We were almost halfway through January this year before I felt comfortable with the word that kept coming to mind: purpose.

Merriam Webster’s Dictionary offers several definitions for purpose:

1. the reason why something is done or used; the aim or intention of something to produce or bring about by a course of action or behavior
2. the feeling of being determined to do or achieve something
3. the aim or goal of a person; what a person is trying to do, become, etc.

I think the first and third definitions fit best, although the second one applies too. When considering how to apply the word purpose to my life, two questions come to mind:

1. How does this decision/situation fit into God’s purpose for me? (Definition 1: the reason I do something)
2. If my purpose is to obey him and bring him glory, will this decision/situation do that? (Definition 3: my aim or goal)

I’m usually a bit baffled, at least at first, about the word that the Lord lays on my heart. For example, purpose wasn’t on any of my lists or even on my radar. I was leaning toward words like peace or hope or joy because those are the things that seem to be in short supply right now. But once purpose popped to the surface, along with pointed questions to ask myself, I couldn’t shake it.

One of my favorite things about having a word for the year is seeing how the Lord uses it. When I use it as a lens to view my circumstances, my attitude improves. When I use it to focus my efforts on a project, I learn and grow. When I use it to make decisions, I know I’m making the best choices. Each year, I’m stretched in ways I couldn’t have imagined, but I’m always better for it.

Do you have a word for 2022? If so, what is it?

Dear Jesus, thank you for helping me choose another word for the year. Please help me to view my circumstances through the lens of the word purpose, and show me what you want me to learn. Amen.