Here’s How My 2019 Word of The Year Helped Me To Make Room For What Matters

How to choose your word of the year by Shovorne Adams at The Hope Table. Bible journaling picture

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”  

How to choose your word of the year by Shovorne Adams at The Hope Table. Philippians 1:14 Bible verse

 

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)

How to choose your word of the year by Shovorne Adams at The Hope Table. Bible journaling picture

 

Here are of few of my ‘aha’ moments from living out my word of the year in 2019

  • 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.  

 

  • 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.  

How to choose your word of the year by Shovorne Adams at The Hope Table. Bible journaling picture

 

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.  

How to choose your word of the year by Shovorne Adams at The Hope Table. Bible journaling picture

 

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

Privacy Preference Center