Extreme Makeover
January 30, 2010
While I am writing the final blog before we start our My One Word journey it seems only fitting that a cheesy extreme makeover show is playing in the background (my wife is obviously in charge of the remote). Its your typical reality TV fare where we watch the ugly duckling turn into a beautiful swan. Granted, all it took was a few plastic surgeries and a couple grand spent on hair, make-up and new clothes. An eager audience is willing to watch the entire thing unfold. I have to admit, I sat and watched the whole thing as well, captivated by the drama and eager to see the end results.
Then I began to think what if they did the same type of show, only with someones spiritual life? Would we be so captivated by it? Would we find ourselves silently rooting for a complete transformation? Id like to think that we would. But, here is the thing, the opportunity for an extreme makeover is presented to us daily when we wake up, make choices throughout the day and go to sleep. Are we going to live our life out of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? By focusing on your one word youre posturing yourself for transformation to take place in your life. Those ugly places of our heart are being redeemed so they beautifully reflect Gods heart.
This is fundamentally about change. How is your life going to reflect more of God in one year than it does today? The reality is that you have no idea what is going to happen in your circumstances and no way to control it. But, your character and heart for God is a matter of faith and posture. You may not change the whole world, but you are positioning yourself through your one word to make an impact and steward the influence youve been given.
There is no television show for you to go on, no quick fix or fancy reveal. This is life. It takes faith and trust in God and the big reveal happens each time you are given the opportunity to respond to your one word and you choose the path that reflects the fruits of the spirit. Im captivated and Im ready to see your extreme makeover. With this in mind, I want to pray for your experience with My One Word by echoing Pauls prayer for the church in Ephesus:
Ephesians 3:14-21 (NIV)
14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledgethat you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.
Your One Word is about change, but not just change. We hope that God will do some great things in your life and that you character will be impacted by your pursuit. Yet, life change is not about being better, but about being alive. God has promised us the very fullness of Himself as we pursue Him and surrender our lives into the work of His hands. We’d love to hear your response to the following question: How do you hope the change in your posture and focus will help you experience more fullness in your life and relationships?
I hope that my posture and focus will help rid my heart and mind of some awful past memories and experiences. Memories that make me have no trust in people that they will be honest or faithful. That they will be unselfish people who when they say they care, you can take their word with the weight of gold. I’d like to have a life someday where I can be freed of my past with bad friends and relationships so I can be open to the good ones when God puts them in front of me.
It will help me be more true to The Lord as decisions are required and allow more depth in communication with those I love and demonstrate more attention to all I meet and things I do.
And, creating such a television show is part of my prayer for guidance if it is His will.
You asked, “How do you hope the change in your posture and focus will help you experience more fullness in your life and relationships?”. My one word is Victory and I claim Victory in Jesus name over this next year (and more if needed) for the restoration of my marriage.
My word is perspective. I hope that in every situation, especially ones where I would normally become irritated, afraid, confused, or angry, that I can stop and seek to look at the situation (or person) with God’s perspective. That, in turn, should cause me to change my response into something that will reflect God’s heart.
I’m hoping that through my focus on the “one word” challenge I will be more willing and able to focus more on other aspects that will draw me back to God. With a better relationship with Christ I will (hopefully) change the way I interact with the rest of the world (friends, family, work people). Ultimately Living a more Christ fulfilling life that will be pleasing to Jesus.
My “one word” is “love” and so it is my hope that by my change in focus and posture, others will see God’s love in my actions and words. I hope that this will help me to have better relationships with others and it will help lead others to Christ.
To be and feel free in my relationship with the Lord. To have a secure life and healthy relationships with others. Also to be able to love on others the way Jesus would. Hard I know but definately worth it to me. I am one who wants to love everyone I come in contact with. I love to make everyone smile and laugh. It is easy doing this working in the nursing field, but outside of those walls at the hospital, it is a challenge. My heart is to beat that challenge.
My word for the year is journey. I hope to increase the focus that I have on the trinity in my life to guide me down better, new, and spiritually exciting paths for 2010. Since I truly feel that God put this word before me and said, “this is your word for 2010,” I think I’m on the right path already. Now it’s just staying focused enough not to stray to all the other paths calling my name.
In living my word, DO, I will help myself remove clutter and other distractions in my life that prevent my reaching other positive goals I have set for myself. In completing my DOing, I will be better able to serve God and His children in a more meaningful way.
My one word, LOVE, will definitely help holding myself in a whole new posture. I am not the most affectionate person or most open to being loved. I hope my one word helps me really focus on displaying love, and opening myself to BE LOVED. I tend to have walls surrounding my heart, for fear of the unknown. My one word hopefully lets me open my heart to others and strengthened my current relationships with my family, friends, and significant other.
My one word is “ASK”. I have a tendacy to have conversations with others to only talk about me and what im dealing with at the time and do not ASK about whats going on in theirs. My word is going to take less focus on me and dig into the lives of others. I also feel like i do not ASK God whats next, whats last, and whats best? Looking foward to 2010.
I was in the middle of a fast when the Lord gave me the word “Focus” for 2010, and confirmed it several times in the following days, then I was so thrilled that a friend sent me this website so I can continue to be reminded of it. My focus will be in Him, praying with diligence for others and learning and studying His Word. Thank you for this wonderful encouragement.
I hope my one word leads me to be more open to forgiveness of others and reconciliation and also allow me to see where I may have hurt others without knowing it. And when bitterness rears its head again, I hope learning to be a better steward of my love and forgiveness as well as God’s will allow me to walk away from bitter feelings and forgive again…and again… or as many times as I need to. In the end, Jesus wants us to restore all broken relationships and he will use them to bear fruit.
I hope to become closer to God and to heal the wrongs I have done to my family. To be a good example to people around me at work and anywhere else.
After living three months with a secular sister who then threw me out on the streets to be homeless for the next two years, I settled two states away and disowned the “immediate” family.
I’m almost three years now, having my two room apartment, and stronger for having gone through the hardship, but had feelings I didn’t know I was capable of. Those feelings took God from me, and I’ve been working on a better relationship with Him.
I hope to remain as strong as He’s made me through the hardship, but to have the holiness I once enjoyed with Him. I so enjoyed almost all the fruits, and the rug was pulled out from under me. I was made to feel pure hatred. Not AT anyone, just over the wrongs that were done to me.
One thing I did was to journal, and when I found that I was journaling the same things over and over, I put a box in the middle of the room for that subject. It made me write and think less and less about it.
Now I’m back into writing lyrics and I hope to be successful at it. I hope to get better at putting them to notes too. All for God, and I’ve been told I’m good at it.
Another thing I did was to seriously forgive others for the wrongings. If we expect God to forgive us, we should forgive others also.
My One Word is holiness.
Reading each of these touched my heart. Many of the “one words” fit my year too. Maybe I have a lot of catching up to do. This is my first year knowing about this site and doing it. I pray that each of you progresses throught the year for your word to be fulfilled and God’s glory shines within all of you. May God bless you in your journey to Him.