Here’s How My 2019 Word of The Year Helped Me To Make Room For What Matters
As I scribbled the word’s “Speak the word of God FEARLESSLY” in my Bible I considered that Paul was in jail YET still passionate about his faith in Jesus Christ. He determined that EVEN IN CHAINS his priority was the good news of the gospel. He had a deep-rooted faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. His boldness and clarity of purpose was inspiring his brothers and sisters in Christ, his partners in grace.
I read Philippians 1:14, not realising that these words from Paul the Apostle would form my word of the year for 2019 “Most of the brothers have gained CONFIDENCE in the Lord from my imprisonment and DARE even more to SPEAK THE WORD FEARLESSLY”
Transforming from fearful to FEARLESS
Done with playing small, and being shy about their faith they were no longer willing to hide that side of their identity from friends, colleagues, the enemy, from ANYONE! They were ready to speak the word of God FEARLESSLY, wherever to whoever. Threats of jail, rejection and persecution loomed yet they stood willing and daring to follow through with the great commission. Transforming from fearful to FEARLESS as their confidence grew in the Lord, they were ready to be the light and the salt of the Earth and like Paul they were getting UNAPOLOGETIC about it!
As I read, pondered-prayerfully and doodled my way through the word of God, my mind had gift-wrapped Paul’s words to the Philippians into that one word that would inspire me through-out the year of 2019– It was ‘UNAPOLOGETIC’. That was my word of the year.
2019 was a year for me to be unapologetic about my faith in Christ, who I am in Christ and all He had called me to be. Unapologetic to me meant:
- to live fearlessly
- not to be sorry for who I am and who I believed in
- not being sorry for ‘going for it’ in every area in my life that God highlighted as a priority and challenging any limiting belief that got in the way
- like Paul, not letting my external situation dictate my faith, my focus, my direction and the bigger picture, but walking in the belief that my God is bigger than any circumstance that looks hard
- speaking the word fearlessly via the means and platforms that I have been afforded
- not being sorry because of fear of being judged by others
- transforming from the fear-based life that makes you question everything, to a faith-based life where you know God has ALL the answers (even when you don’t)
Here are of few of my ‘aha’ moments from living out my word of the year in 2019
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Obedience & Faith over Fear
Fear will lead to inaction or a mediocrity. But being unapologetic meant, having a boldness that what God calls me to do overrides any feelings of inadequacy, false humility and fear of people.
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The Mission over The Money
I realised that I wasn’t willing to stay in a job that was no longer a part of the bigger picture. It’s easy to stay in a job or career because of the salary or title and we often we see our jobs as our main source of security when God should be our main source of security.
I decided I would rather live penniless with God’s purpose through my life complete, than with all the money in the world and be a divine disappointment.
After mentally making the decision and sitting with my husband and a excel spreadsheet calculating how we would run a business, ministry and home, provide for ourselves and our sons with less income, that same day, I received a prophecy from a woman that knows neither me or my husband, relating to how God was asking us not to worry about finances, He would provide all our needs (the testimony is longer than that but I’ll save the details for another blog post ?). That word was all I needed. And I love God’s sense of humour. He sent the word of confirmation AFTER, we made the choice to obey!!!
Finally, in July 2019, I left my full-time corporate job in the training and consultancy team of the world’s second-largest industrial automation company. I have 0 regrets!!!!!
I choose purpose over the pennies
Leonardo Da Vinci encapsulated it best when he said “Make your work to be in keeping with your purpose”
JOMO over FOMO
I stopped feeling the need to be at everything. FOMO, the fear of missing out will leave you with burnout if you keep breaking your neck to accept every invitation, fitting things in, dates, people, events even when you have higher priorities on your list. What looks like popularity, glamorised-busyness is covering a life of ‘people-pleasing’ and a need for social rewards. My word of the year, helped me to embrace JOMO, the joy of missing out. Because I’ve had such clarity in what matters to me this year, it’s been easy for me to miss out and say ‘no’ to what doesn’t matter.
Making Room for what matters
Ok, so the year began with the word ‘unapologetic’, but as it came to a close, the words that God whispered to my heart was ‘Make Room’. That’s what it about from the beginning. I realised that all along, God was encouraging me to make room for what matters. Often in life, we find little time for God and His kingdom, not because we don’t want to but because our life is filled with stuff, people and things we don’t even want there. It gets a bit cluttered and we struggle to find the time. But when we are unapologetic about our faith, we don’t feel sorry for removing distractions from our life, we will clear out the junk and make room for what matters.
You and I have a purpose and a calling that we can’t afford to not ‘make room’ for and that’s what I feel individuals learned as they watched Paul in action. We have a purpose and a calling that not only affects us but affects the world. We have a precious message to share. A message that will change lives for the better, set people free and make the heavens roar. That message is Jesus.
How you live out your Christian faith might look different from how I do, yet we all have the same purpose. We are all called to be in relationship with our heavenly father, to be loved by Him and to bring Him glory and the share that news with the rest of the world. But how you share the gospel might be very different from how I do. That’s the creative and exciting part of our journey together as women of God, as a sisterhood. The same God, the same purpose, the same hope, that same faith, the same 24 hours, but between us we have thousands or even millions of ways of expressing our faith.
Are you ready and willing to make room for what matters?
My encouragement for you today is to say “please do express it”! Don’t hold back! Start your marketplace mission and spread the gospel at your office. Write the book. Start a business. Write the sermon. Apply for the course. Get intentional about your focus on family or marriage in this season. Darn it girl, quit that thing or those people that are in the way, dream the dreams and make ’em happen! Just promise me you won’t let anything get in the way of your living out God’s calling on your life. Are you willing to get ‘unapologetic’?
I believe in you sweetheart! As you become unapologetic in living out and sharing your gifts with the world, not only will you change, but you’ll influence our globe for the better, and draw people closer to reconciliation with our heavenly father, and like Paul, you will inspire others to become bolder and speak the word more fearlessly.
We are on the brink of a new decade, girl! Are you ready and willing to make room for what matters?
If you want to choose a word of the year, scripture or phrase hop on over to 7 way to chose your word of the year and a list of over 101 words to choose from. xx
With heart and hope
Shovorne Adams
xoxox
[…] the word courage is the fact that when I googled how to find your word of the year, I fell upon the following blog about being fearless. Check it out. Maybe it will give insight into choosing your own WTY. God has something new for […]
I love the idea of JOMO over FOMO… I’m definitely going to use that!!
I am more than ready to make room for what matters ??
Thank you for the list of what it means to you to be “unapologetic” as those things really speak to me. I can become so fearful about speaking the Truth because of what others think, or that I do not feel able or good enough…etc! Thank you. May your 2020 be filled with the peace of our Lord in all you are and do.
I love the idea of JOMO. Thanks for crafting this post. God bless!
Wow! What a testimony and inspiration. Obedience and faith over fear! He just wants to be abandon it all for Him to actually work in our lives. Thanks for sharing.
“He determined that EVEN IN CHAINS his priority was the good news of the gospel.” I think about Paul frequently. Especially whenever I am acting like a big baby concerning whatever is going on (or not going on) in my life.
Thank you for sharing. 🙂
When I was 21 I decided one day to “screw resolutions” I was just going to live by a ‘word’ – “No Excuses” (Ok, so 2 words). It CHANGED MY LIFE. I never went back, each year since then (umm far too many years to mention) I have chosen a word that fits that season of life. I try not to do at the beginning of a year because I feel people get swept up in the ‘new year, new you’ concept and it becomes more of a fad or trend than a lifestyle change. But I love your testimony to your word. And I LOVE “purpose over pennies” – amazing. Wishing you the best of luck on your journey!!
Never heard of a word of the year. This is cool and it could really change ones perspective! Awesome read
I especially love your story about stepping out in faith and quitting your job….I love hearing stories from working moms who listened to that stirring from God to quit their jobs. I love hearing how God is working in their lives after doing something pretty scary!
I, too, was a corporate trainer for T-Mobile and even started the master’s program at my university for adult education…I left that when my son was only 3 months old and have never looked back. Now, my entire blog is dedicated to providing encouragement for those moms who feel God stirring in their hearts to become stay at home moms.
I loved this! Coming from someone who spent waaay too much of my life afraid – this is spot on and full of truth. And yes, I too, want to make room for what really matters. God bless you today and in 2020.
This is such a powerful testimony of obedience to God. I am learning more each day to lean on his understanding and not my own. Your story inspires me to listen harder and to walk according to the plan he has for my life. Thank you.
I seriously love your word of the year idea. I think mine this year is going to be “able.” I’m wishing you all the best for 2020!!! I know you’re going to rock it.
Love it! My word this year is MINDFULNESS!
I was also challenged in 2019 by Paul’s words in Philippians. And I want to emulate his courage and his outward focus in 2020!
Thank you for the encouragement to be committed to my purpose to glorify God in the new year. I’ve chosen “Jesus is Better” as my focal phrase for the year. Coming off a disheartening 2019 it’s easy to focus on the negatives, but turning my attention to the fact that Jesus is better than anyone, anything, and everything, makes my heart full and focused on what matters in life. Blessings to ya in the new year! ?
Being Fearless is something that we think is a gift, or something that only some people are called to be. We are all called to be Fearless, not because we shouldn’t have emotion, but because we can cast those fears onto God.