My One Word

      The following is a personal exercise I went through in following the guidelines from Mike Ashcraft’s book, “My One Word: Change Your Life With Just One Word”  I highly recommend reading his book and implementing the My One Word project into your life in 2014.  I apologize in advance to the typos, run-on sentences, and crypticness of the writing.  I decided to give you the roughed-out version just as I worked through the process in order that it be may model to you, both the thinking process and the impact. 

       I started the process with a question of my own that ties to the Crazy Chicken photo I have chosen for my blog.  As a chicken-raiser, I frequently find examples in their behavior that illustrate a not-so-complementary human characteristic.  Usually I find chickens to be rather comical.  I include this step as it was a beginning stage for my thought process.

        I hope you enjoy the article and that it helps you in your own, personal New Year’s dialogue with God.

Why did the chicken cross the road? 

                 This is really a question of why am I doing this?  Or why do I do anything?  Paul wrote “I do not understand the things I do. I do not do what I want to do, and I do the things I hate.”  (Romans 7:15-20 - MSG)  Just as the answer to the chicken-crossing-the-road is simply “because it’s a chicken”, the answer to why we do anything is just as senseless.  I do what I do, and I rarely fully understand why.

What kind of person do I want to be this year? 

               I think I want to be a person who better understands why I do what I do and to have more control or effect on the actual doing in advance?  Intentional living instead of reactional living.

What drives my desire to be this kind of person?

              Lack of control over my life?  A sense that the river of my life is flowing out from under me with the banks eroding under my feet.  Time is quickly passing and if I do not effectively create goals and objectives, the end will come and nothing will be accomplished.  Now is the time to be who God created me to be.  It is not some far off event that I’ll eventually grow into. Today is the day.

Describe the characteristics of this person. Make a list of words based on this description. 

              When I picture this person I see a dignified and esteemed person content with his being, with words of wisdom emoting like smoke from a pipe swirling around his knowing countenance.  He is a great listener and has a comfortable lap.  He is fatherly to everyone and respected by all.  He has a twinkle in his eye and a chuckle in his belly.  People love to be around him and with him.  They listen to his sage advice and laugh at his stories, not because he demands to be the center of attention but because they are drawn to him.  They trust him and know they are loved by him.  He is a man that provides positive impact on their lives.

      · Dignified               · Knowledgeable             · Content
      · Quiet                    · Comfortable                  · Fatherly
      · Respected            · Joy                                · Love
      · Sharing                 · Magnetic                       · Trust
      · Loving                  · Positive                         · In Control
      · Firm                     · Involved                        · Teacher
      · Elder                    · Peaceful                         · Twinkle
      · Faithful                 · Present                          · Mindfulness
      · Discerning            · Immersed                      · Distinction
      · Excellence            · Time                             · Weightiness
      · Accepting             · Kind                             · Tender
      · Benevolent            · Mentor                         · Leader
      · Shepherd              · Healer                           · Benefactor
      · Patient                  · Composed                   · Serene
      · Calm          

                 

Reduce your list to 10 words or less. Research those words using a dictionary, Bible, and thesaurus.

                        · Peaceful                            · Loving

                        · Mentor                              · Patient
                        · Faithful                              · Teacher
                        · Accepting                          · Holy

Choose one word from the list.  HOLY!

Choose a Bible verse that speaks to you about your chosen word and memorize it.

          ¹⁴ Now that you are obedient children of God do not live as you did in the past. You did not understand, so you did the evil things you wanted. ¹⁵ But be holy in all you do, just as God, the One who called you, is holy. ¹⁶ It is written in the Scriptures: “You must be holy, because I am holy.”  (1 Peter 1:14-16 - NCV)

Also: ‘Be my holy people. Be holy because I am the Lord your God. Lev.20.7 and ‘I am the Lord your God. You must be holy because I am holy. Lev.19.2

What initial expectations do you have regarding the impact of your word?

           I sense that a very large burden has been lifted.  In one way, a burden of responsibility has been lifted from heart.  It is not up to me to live in a holy way – it is through and with God that this is possible.  Instead of trying to add self-control to my knowledge and patience to my self-control…, (see 2 Peter 1:9-14 - NCV).  I now realize that these are things are the result of living a holy life.  God adds them as I chose rightly in each moment of my life. 

          I also have come to realize that the impact I have on others can be huge – both in a negative sense and in a positive.  The ripples of holy living can be far reaching but so can the effects of non-holy living.  An example was provided as I drove home from work yesterday thinking about the word Holy.  I had a traffic situation that went amiss.  I was in a lane of traffic that was ending and I tried merging into the through-traffic lane. There was a space but as I put on my turn signal and started moving into the lane, the driver in the car behind sped up to block me out.  Instead of breaking and allowing the person the spot he most craved, I continued my merge, trying to force the guy to stop and let me in.  His horn blared in my ears as I moved farther into is lane. Our cars came within inches of hitting.  I finally had to stop and watch my adversary speed past.  I took the space behind and drove up, angrily, behind him.  He responded by jamming on his brakes causing me to almost rear-end him.   The tete-a -tete continued through the 8 mile stretch of my village.  After the near run-in, I shrank back in traffic, giving him room but the other driver’s erratic driving and obvious anger at me continued.  His anger spilled over to other drivers and the entire village became at risk as he obviously was growing more and more out of control with his rage. I realized that in a more holy-living approach, I would have not forced the issue in the first place but, instead, would have allowed him his space as soon as he indicated it was important to him.  Had I allowed the word Holy to dominate my thoughts I probably would have recognized this earlier. 

        The main thing to remember is that our words and actions have impact on the lives around us.  Holy living is not just an attitude of reverence with my head in the clouds.  It is the key ingredient of discipleship where God can use my life to build his Kingdom on earth.

        Holy is the way.  Holy is what is expected of me.  Holy is God.