my one word

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Becoming Good Soil

“But the seed on the good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it and by persevering produce a good crop.” (Luke 8:15, NIV)

The word you have chosen for this year may very well be a gift God has already given you. This unbeknownst seed placed in your heart, was dormant and protected until the proper time for planting. As a creation of God, a seed has purpose. Its purpose is to produce fruit. Yet on its own, unplanted, it will remain inactive.

By choosing your One Word, you have taken the first step in producing a good crop for the Lord. But more is required. This word may seem foreign to your natural being, but you can trust that if you have received this word from God through prayer and meditation on His word it is a part of your spiritual formation. This seed, your word, must be planted in good soil. How is your heart? Is it arable soil? Is it fit for the gift God has imparted? Will it allow your seed to be obedient to its created purpose? Will the seed from God planted in your heart produce fruit or will it be choked out?

After honestly examining the condition of your heart and removing the stones and thorns that may have been on the surface or deeper down (opening up and surrendering your whole heart to the Lord), the next consideration should be how you will arrange your life so that the seed (a gift from God, not an element of your flesh) can grow exponentially. God gives us a plan of action in the book of James:

“Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:21-25, NASB)

The entire passage is a blessing, but there are five notable points that will illuminate the process of living out your One Word:

• Get rid of the sins that defile you- The “filthiness” and the “remains of wickedness” may sound like things that are already far from you, but they encompass those things we tolerate and even indulge in daily! Laziness, anxiety, scoffing (dismissing God’s way for our own) are examples.
• Humbly receive the word- Know that God beat you to the moment of realizing your word! He placed it on your heart. Take hold of it knowing it is a gift from Him for you to use for His glory!
• Do not forget the word- Keep it in front of you in the form of scripture. Make a few easily accessible lists of the scriptures God led you to in order to reveal this word to you. Define it and use it in declarative sentences, ex. “Courage means doing things I know are right even if I am afraid. I will befriend this intimidating person in spite of my fear!”
• Look to Jesus and abide in Him- We should always be Christ-focused in our efforts. Scripture tells us that if we remain in Him, he will remain in us and we will bear much fruit. Listening for His voice in quiet time, learning his character in scripture, reflecting His image everywhere we go are some ways we can remain in Him.
• Be an effectual doer- act on what you are learning through the exercise, trusting that God is faithful to his promise and that in obedience you WILL bear fruit!

The exercise of My One Word is not a means to an end, it is a call to awareness. It requires you to focus on one thing long enough to actually see its significance as you diligently pursue His kingdom. You have chosen your word, now you must do the work of learning how to position yourself to yield a good crop!

Arranged For Impact

Stepping out into the light, gray mist of a somber afternoon in Guatemala, we were struck instantly by the distinct sights and smells of the city. Swept away in a current of fruits and colors, we coalesced with the crowd, weaving in and out of the locals like the intricate, handmade fabrics layered heavily across their backs. Dense for a non-market day, the city, too, was heavy, its people folded forward beneath the weight of the day-to-day and the lostness of a life barren of Truth. A team member and I fell in step and began prayer walking, quietly absorbing the unspoken burdens from the hollow eyes we encountered, imploring the presence of God to descend upon these people with the rain.

We were finally here, doing this that we had craved for so long: praying not just for but among those we were here to serve.

Lord, raise up this generation for you. Lift the oppression of the Mayan beliefs and fears that block your Truth here. Deliver these widows and children from the bondage of poverty. This man right now, make Yourself known to him in a mighty way; let him be an influence for your glory among other men in this community…

It was then that I first noticed it: the ongoing chattering behind me. A local Guatemalan woman, who had noticed and continually sought out our team since day one, caught up to us in our journey and struck up a conversation in Spanish with another team member. Unabashed and unapologetic—la-ti-da, as if the rest of us were simply taking a Sunday stroll. Looking back with shame, I admit it: I was annoyed. I focused harder on the passersby we slit between, like butter around a knife, struggling to make my prayers manifest authentically and resisting the temptation to walk on ahead, away from the group. She followed us all the way up to the hilltop at Monte Flor, into a small prayer chapel overlooking the ministry’s sprawling campus and adjacent community nestled warmly between the mountains. I continued praying for impact—when suddenly, I caught my breath. There between the muffled dialog, through words I could scarcely pick out, I recognized a prayer. This team member was praying with the woman, our “visitor,” in her native tongue. Impact…

It was then I realized I had completely missed the forest for the trees. I was so caught up in my own spiritual agenda of seeking God’s influence among the people here, I missed the fact that I was His hands and feet right here where He had presented an actual opportunity. I let my own spirituality get in the way of responding to what was unfolding right in front of my eyes: a human being seeking connection. This woman could have been introduced to Christ right there in that chapel as I looked out into the distance asking Him to do something among His people…

Back in America, I have to wonder how often I am not so far from that chapel, encountering dozens of opportunities to be a light for God right where I am. And yet, how does one go about arranging their life for response? “Respond,” my one word, falls heavy at times, like a cloak. Yet in the past month what I have heard over and over in my heart is simply this: “Invest in the people around you.” There doesn’t have to be any grand cause or charge. As an introspective at-times introvert, my natural tendency is not always inclined toward community. But to arrange my life where I am positioned to respond means to seek relationships with those around me whom I have the opportunity to invest in every day. To realize that change requires response, and building relationships requires sacrifice. To recognize that God has already made some arrangements when He placed specific people in my life. And to know that He will equip me with all I need—even when it seems like my friend, that neighbor, my husband and I don’t speak the same language…

Even “The Flash” Took Baby Steps