My One Word: Seek - Amy Lively

So… it’s February already. How are those New Year’s Resolutions working out for you (no pun intended, if one of yours was to spend more time at the gym)?

“If you’re like most people, each January goes something like this: You choose a problematic behavior that has plagued you for years and vow to reverse it. In fact, you can probably think of two or three undesirable habits—make that four or five.
“Thus begins the litany of imperfections to be perfected commonly known as ‘New Year’s Resolutions.’ All of which are typically off your radar by February.
“‘My One Word’ is an experiment designed to move you beyond this cycle. The challenge is simple: lose the long list of changes you want to make this year and instead pick ONE WORD.
“This process provides clarity by taking all your big plans for life change and narrowing them down into a single focus. Just one word that centers on your character and creates a vision for your future.”
“My One Word: Change Your Life With Just One Word”
Mike Ashcraft and Rachel Olsen, Zondervan

Rachel Olsen is a Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker and author. Proverbs 31 Ministries has blessed me beyond measure as I have met their staff, learned from their teaching and been encouraged by their words. I’ve attended their She Speaks Conference five times (I’m a slow learner) as well as the first annual She Speaks Intensive this year. Because of my long experience with their ministry I can wholeheartedly recommend anything any one of their staff ever does!

As I prayed about My One Word for 2013, the word “seek” was kinda bugging me. “Seek” was too simple, too broad, too obvious—of course, I’m seeking or I wouldn’t be doing this exercise. I thought “seek” was the first step to finding my real word, and I dug for something deeper. But nothing else came.

So I Googled it.

Rather, I used my favorite online Bible tool, Blue Letter Bible, to seek more information about “seek.”

Zēteō (zā-te’-ō)

1. to seek in order to find
   1. to seek a thing
   2. to seek [in order to find out] by thinking, meditating, reasoning, to enquire into
   3. to seek after, seek for, aim at, strive after
2. to seek i.e. require, demand
   1. to crave, demand something from someone

I kept reading, praying and taking notes, and “seek” was transformed from a disappointing first step to a springboard of areas where I will seek God in 2013:

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33 NLT

My personal faith is of utmost importance; everything else I do flows out of this foundation. When my time with Him is short, I am short with the people I love and hurt them with my words. When He is not my first source of comfort, I find myself in front of the refrigerator instead of on my knees. When He is not my first source of counsel, I rely on well-intentioned advice instead of true wisdom. When trusting God is not my priority, I spin my wheels trying to make things happen on my own.

I have lofty goals of praying before I get out of bed and reading my Bible before checking my email. We’ll see how that goes. I have a feeling this aspect of “seek” will be a lot bigger than that.