Trust—My One Word 2012

Trust.

To place confidence or depend; to commit or place in one’s care or keeping; to rely on the truthfulness or accuracy of. (Tyndale NLT Study Bible)


As the days of December fly by, I feel like I should write a recap of my year focused on trusting God. But a recap might imply that my year of learning to trust Him is complete, or that I’ve learned all there is to know. But nothing could be further from the truth.

Learning to trust God with everything, all the time, is an ongoing process because it’s so easy to fall back into depending on myself.

It takes a conscious effort every day to give it all to Him—and then leave it with Him. Not taking it back to worry a little more about it. Not snatching it away when He doesn’t act as quickly as I’d like.

Trusting God means waiting on Him, knowing that His Way is best.

It means seeking His Will for my life, asking Him for guidance and wisdom in every decision and situation.

It means spending time in God’s Word, growing closer to Him and learning all that He wants to show me.

Some days are easier than others. And some days feel like a test.

I’ve learned that when I depend on myself, I find myself confused, stressed, worried, distraught, and far from God.

But when I depend on God, He walks with me every day. He comforts and gives me peace.

Trusting myself leads me to act on emotions and feelings that are so often mixed up and out of control.

But trusting God leads me to wait on Him and act with His guidance and in His Truth.

Trust in God doesn’t mean everyday will be happy or a good day. But trust brings joy found only in the Lord.

I’ll have a new One Word for 2013, but my focus on trusting God first; instead of after I’ve exhausted myself will continue. Indefinitely.

You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in you,
all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Trust in the Lord always,
for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.
Isaiah 26:3-4 NLT

Did you have a One Word for 2012? How did focusing on one word impact your daily life?

In Christ,
Laura

19 comments:

  1. My One Word for 2012 was "pursue". I believe that I've pursued Him hard this year, but I still have work to do in that area. I love your recap post. I hopefully will get one written before the end of the year!

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    1. Thanks Barbie! I look forward to reading about your year of pursuing. :)

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  2. "It takes a conscious effort every day to give it all to Him—and then leave it with Him" Amen, Sister! Great post. My One Word was Forward. God has been stretching me all year as I step a little more out of my comfort zone and moving forward. Thanks for linking up today!

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    1. Thanks for hosting Eileen. Gotta love when God moves us outside of our comfort zone! That's what He did with me when I started my blog and online studies. :)

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  3. Hi! As 2012 started, I could NOT come up with a word:(. But I can honestly say now, that my word found me this year! And my word is: hope. This year has been full of a lot of change and the loss of my mother. But through it all, my hope has been set on the Lord and He has brought me through it all-PRAISE HIM! Enjoyed hearing about your year...I am coming over from the "Into the Beautiful" link up today. Merry Christmas!

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    1. Thanks for visiting and commenting Tracy. Although Hope wasn't my word this year, I think sometimes it was tied in with Trust for me. God bless!

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  4. My word for 2012 was perseverance. This year has been a tough one: husband's unemployment, huge health issues, financial concerns, Dad going to be with Jesus, sister and niece moving in with us for nine (long) months... The Lord has helped me persevere through brick wall this year...glory to God for His strength and grace to enable us to run the race that He's set before us!
    I enjoyed reading the recap of your year!
    Blessings to you ~ Mary

    Mary @ Woman to Woman
    www.marywomantowoman.blogspot.com

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    1. Hi Mary, sometimes it takes everything we have to persevere. Praise God--He keeps us going when we're running on empty and have nothing left to give. Thank you for visiting and for your comment! May God continue to bless you and your husband in the new year!

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  5. LOVE this, Laura! and man oh man, it's a daily challenge for me to trust FIRST rather than only after I've "exhausted myself". (well-said.) you inspire me...

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    1. Thank you Alece, your kind words mean a lot! God bless!

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  6. My word was Grace ... and you're right ... a year is not long enough!
    Blessings to you and yours,
    Felecia

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    1. Maybe we should look at the year as a means to get us to focus and form (or change) habits, knowing that we need to continue long past a year. Bless you Felecia!

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  7. My One Word was INTENTIONAL. I wanted to live a more purpose filled life in 2012, praying that pattern of living would continue beyond. I believe my prayers were answered. There's room to grow, but I've grown.

    For next year, I feel him leading me to the word PRAYER. We'll see if that's truly what He wants in the next few weeks.

    Great word!

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    1. Hi Stefanie, I thought I knew my word for 2013...but God planned a different word for me for the new year. I haven't revealed it yet, but will in the next few weeks. :) Blessings to you!

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  8. Hi Laura, excellent points on trust. Especially the bit about if we trust we will wait on the Lord, very very tough for me sometimes. My word for this year is Content and like trust it is something I will always have to work on. Great post sweet friend
    God bless
    Tracy

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  9. My one word this year was CREATE. This is my 7th year of doing this exercise and my words never fail to have a lasting impact on me. Good to hear about your year with TRUST.

    ** You might want to get a copy of the new book My One Word: Change Your Life With Just One Word. It releases next week by Zondervan.

    Merry Christmas!

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  10. Ditto to what you say: "I’ve learned that when I depend on myself, I find myself confused, stressed, worried, distraught, and far from God. But when I depend on God, He walks with me every day. He comforts and gives me peace." That was my first lesson I was almost forced to learn as a new Christian. It was a terrible time in my life, but God carried me through amazingly, as long as I leaned on Him instead of self!

    I've been thinking how I need to do some posts about my word for this year (CLOSER), too, but my writing focus has been so much on Christ in Christmas that I don't know where to slip them in. I think I'm going to have to take at least some of them them into January. Closer (to Him) has been a great aim that's blessed me and grown me a lot, but I'm not finished with it yet, by a long shot, so I don't know if I'll take up a new word for 2013 or just keep this one another year!

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  11. I like the idea of having ONE word for 2012. Trust is so important to our Christian walk. This was such a good post as your posts always are, always pointing us to Jesus. I think I will think of a word for 2013. Thanks for linking up over at WholeHearted Home and so sorry for it taking me so long to work my way down through the list. I had to stop blogging in exchange for a wonderful Christmas with my family.

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Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

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