So, I’m starting to believe what they say—that the older you get, the faster time flies. 2018 just evaporated into a vapor of celebrations, challenges, and changes galore. And now it’s time to look ahead, to claim my #oneword365, that one word to cling to, ponder, and allow to marinate into my very soul…
“ABIDE”. That’s my word for 2019. Meaning to remain, to stay, to dwell, to continue. I’m not sure why I’ll be needing it this year especially, but it’s been peeking at me from a variety of sources
“Hour-by-hour abiding in Jesus means hour-by-hour trusting him to meet all your needs and be all our treasure.” John Piper
How was your 2018? A mix of highs, lows, and everything in between, I dare say. Personally, I needed my “FAITH” word of the year to remind me that God is sovereign and He knows best. Always. He proved it to me time and again. But the past year has left me a wee bit exhausted and disoriented if I’m going
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” John 15:4
The coming year will bring unknowns. But if I am abiding in Christ, I’ll be okay with that. Things I do know—I will have a couple of books published, another written, I will have no more teenagers, the nest will still be empty, I will get to travel, a son will graduate Uni, I will laugh and probably cry along the way. But I want my year to be fruitful, a blessing to others, glorifying God whenever possible. The only way I can do this is by abiding in Jesus. Abiding in His perfect love.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” John 15:9
And in that abiding, I will REST, RELY, and REMAIN…
REST:
“He who dwells in the shelter of the
Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1
When we are abiding in Christ, attached to the vine—allowing His strength to flow through us, we can truly “be still” and experience soul rest. We trust Him, we are less anxious, less stressed, less inclined to allow our perfectionist tendencies to run amuck. And it happens right here, right now:
“The answer isn’t always getting away; the answer is abiding more deeply. Right where we are.” Ruth Schwenk
RELY:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him,
he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
Oh, to have faith to depend wholly on God for everything! And that is what He calls us to do, for when we attempt to do all the things apart from Him and under our own steam, we fall short. We fail to bear fruit. He invites us to rely on Him, to dwell in Him:
“Jesus invites us to abide in his love. That means to dwell with all that I am in him. It is an invitation to a total belonging, to full intimacy, to an unlimited being-with. The light of the Spirit reveals to us that love conquers all fear.” Henri Nouwen
REMAIN:
“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32
To abide is to remain CONTINUALLY, for that intimate connection to be ongoing. God has given us His Word that we might know Him and love Him on a deeper level. The Bible is our daily bread, our spiritual nourishment, our truth to live by—we are to abide in it, remain in it:
“Abide means never ceasing to eat and drink from the word as the bread of heaven and living water, as if life could be sustained anywhere else.” John Piper
Being intentional about abiding in Christ sounds like a good plan for my 2019. I hope it encourages your heart, too. ?
Wishing you God’s richest blessing as you head into the coming year… and if you have a special “word” for 2019, would you share it in the comments below?
Abiding in His love,
P.S. For some new year reading, grab your FREE copy of my “20 FICTION FAVORITES” —a collection of my favorite fiction book suggestions, complete with mini-reviews right HERE!
Linking up with some fabulous encouragers! Check them out:
TUNE IN
Love this. Abide is also my word for 2019. It’s been on my heart all December and I know it’s where God has His best for me. Praying you can abide well this year!
Yay! I love that you chose ABIDE. Yes indeed, praying that we will abide well in 2019… blessings to you and a Happy New Year! ?
Hi, Laura! So nice to meet you today! I linked after you on Sue’s link-up. I just read another bloggy friend’s word for this year, and it was also “Abide!” God is dealing with so many of His faithful children along the same lines, and this is just so amazing to me. 🙂 He is such a good God! My family and I are still praying about our word of the year—we always pray over it and choose it together, so I am not 100% sure about ours yet, but I am pretty certain of the direction God is leading us. CONGRATULATIONS on your books being published this year! I know they will be amazing, and may God bless your every effort for Him! Happy New Year, and so wonderful visiting with you today!
Hi Cheryl—thanks so much for stopping by with your sweet encouragement! ? I’m excited for the coming year, for sure. I love that you choose a family word—how wonderful to be able to share something so special together. Blessings to you—and Happy New Year!
Great word!! I’ve chosen JOY as my word for 2019! Happy New Year!
Hi Caroline—oh, I love that you chose “JOY”! Thanks for sharing. May you know a full measure of God’s deepest joy in the coming year! Blessings to you! ?
I was THIS close to choosing the word Abide as my word of the year! You articulate it so beautifully.
Hi there Julia— thanks so much for your kind words! Now I’m curious as to which word you ended up choosing… ? Blessings to you, and a very Happy New Year!
SUCH a good word for the new year! I like the way you unpack the idea of abiding into “rest, rely, and remain.”
Makes me think of the old hymn “Abide with Me.” Do you know it? One of my favorites!
Hi Richella, thanks so much for stopping by—and for your sweet encouragement! Yes, I’ve been humming that hymn ALL WEEK LONG, such rich words. Every blessing for the coming year! ?
Same here–the Lord started speaking John 15:5 to my heart towards the end of the year. I want to bear much fruit for the Kingdom this year, abiding in Him and allowing His life-giving sap to flow through me. I pray He calls many of His women to focus on abiding in Him this year!
Hi Jennifer— how wonderful that you are focussing in on “ABIDE” for the coming year, too! ? I love the thought of His “life-giving sap” flowing through us into the world… thanks so much for sharing. Blessings to you as you abide in Him!
Hi Laura, abide is good, to settle down, rest, to be comfortable or at home in Him. I went with grace but I know I will go through a lot of words this year.
Hi Rebecca, I love that your word is “GRACE” for 2019! I had that word a couple of years ago, and it was a beautiful reminder of God’s grace toward me throughout the year… plus, it helped me to remember to extend grace to others. Enjoy! ? Every blessing for the coming year!
How wonderfully appropriate! I’ll be getting an Abide ring soon. Love it that we are on Joyful Life together and I love that quote from John Piper. I would embroider it but then I couldn’t read it. . . My word is Worthy. Because He is.
Hi there, Sue—yes, it’s so great to be on the Joyful Life team with you! ? I’m so excited for you getting the ABIDE ring… I love my mug! And WORTHY is such an awesome word for your 2019. Blessings to you!
Hello Laura, my word is Abide also. I’ve been attempting to memorize John 15 and your blog was refreshing to read!
Hi April, how lovely that you have ABIDE for your 2019 word, too! Good choice! ? Memorization is such a challenge for me… I’m cheering you on as you learn John 15. Great words! Blessings to you for the coming year.
I agree memorizing is a challenge and at first I didn’t think I could but I knew if tried, God would bless my endeavors.
Thank you for sharing exactly what I was feeling. Confirmation is such a blessing.
Thanks April— I definitely need to make more of an effort when it comes to memorizing scripture. ? Yay for all the confirmation! ??
I love your word for the year, I did a word study on that word a few years ago! My word for 2019 is “Prepare.” I will be spending the year preparing for Battles and Blessings!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Laurie! PREPARE is a wonderful word… we all need to be ready for the battles and blessings ahead. May you know God’s presence and peace in powerful ways this coming year! ?
What a great word, Laura. It brings with it so much peace and restfulness. Happy New Year!
Thanks so much, Crystal! Oh yes, and I could certainly do well to listen to my word on the daily! ? Every blessing to you for the coming year!