3 Suggestions to Have “One Word” Make a Difference

Yep, I’m a little late to the “One Word” game this year. Maybe you too?

No worries! It’s not like it’s a magic potion that transforms your life!

“The will is transformed by experiences not information.”

Dallas Willard

Choosing One Word over the past 5 or so years has proven to have varied degrees of success in my experience.

First, it might be good to define what I mean by “success”.

I want any practice in my life to lead me to a greater resemblance to Jesus. There are years when I’ve chosen a word and then basically forgotten about it for most of the year.🤷‍♀️ Not successful!

Choosing one word for the year just means you want to pay attention to the ways God might want to use that word to form you. You want it to make a positive difference in your spiritual formation.

This year I’ve chosen two words (Call me a rebel. Whatever.). They are “Adventure” and “With”.

If you have chosen a word for 2023, or if you want to today, here’s what you might consider doing to be intentional:

1. Record your insights throughout the year.

I bought a special One Word journal. I have one section titled, “Adventure”, and one titled “With”.

In these different sections I’m recording verses or quotes I come across that help my understanding of how God is using them in my life. I want to study the impact of adventures with God in the Bible.

2. Set some goals.

As well as being attentive to the adventures the Lord might invite me into, I’ve set a goal of choosing one specific “adventure” a month to do. It might be dramatic or very ordinary, but it’s something new to me. My January “adventure” was doing Whole30. Boring, I know, but I learned a lot about myself!

I have an ongoing list of ideas for this that I keep brainstorming.

For your word there might be a different type of monthly goal.

3. Invest resources.

Also, as much as I know many of my adventures with Jesus will not be dramatic, I’d also like some exciting bigger ones, so I have started a special savings account labeled “Adventures”!

Is there an investment you could make (like purchasing a book or an online course) that would help?

Paying attention (as with all of spiritual formation) may be key! The other day I heard this song that encouraged my “with”! I hope it encourages you, whatever your word is!

Have you chosen “One Word”? Is there anything you are doing to make it meaningful? Pop your thoughts in the comments!