My One Word

Our lead pastor shared a book with the staff at Christmas this year which expounded the principle of selecting one word to focus on for the next year. Deciding on the word is a matter of prayer, meditation, and even a little inspiration. It becomes the main focus for your goals, fuels your actions, and keeps you centered on mission.

My “one word” for this year is calling. It’s a term used in many different ways, but often refers to the purpose you feel God has given to you and in many aspects, specifically for ministry. While I believe in the power of that particular principle I also believe we have a calling for each of the roles we should fill in our life.

Recognizing I have a calling as a husband and father shapes many of the decisions I make. I realize the power of the relationship I share with my wife and children and my need to choose to live that out with the best impact and integrity I can. I believe I have a calling as a friend and will choose to be present in times of need and be ready to sacrifice to help when necessary. I am called as an influencer in my community and should realize the potential of my impact and choose my words, actions, and generosity very carefully. I am also called at this stage in my life to be a pastor and must always keep that in the forefront of my thoughts as it shapes so much of what I do and say.

I don’t have all of the parts of this “one word” figured out, but I realize the power of staying focused on discovering the depth of it this year. I want to live fully in my calling—not just now, but also for what the future holds.

Reminded of Calling

Ministry is hard-sometimes it is extremely hard. There are days when it is a struggle to keep your focus on what is important and to not get bogged down in the details of emotion and the tasks that lie in front of you. You perceive that most of what you do is put out fires of conflict and assuage the feelings of wounded people. The politics of organization can threaten to overwhelm you as you try to determine the best practices and pathway for the future vision of the church.

Thankfully God provides the reminder of the calling He has placed on your life. He gives you bountiful moments of sacrifice and kindness from good friends. He gives you people who place their arm around you and tell you with passion in their voice that they are earnestly praying for you. He gives you a good friend & mentor who empathizes in how hard this is and leads the way nonetheless. He lets you have the pleasure of spending time with new friends over coffee and sharing the story of each other's lives. He lets you share in the joy of a powerful woman of God's birthday and the lives that she has touched.

He reminds you quietly and firmly that though this life is hard, this is the one that He has called you to and He will bring you through the good & tough times.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 "The One who has called 
you is faithful and He will do it."