THEME FOR THE YEAR

Series: Take Back Authority Over Your Life

One of the ways that I am intentional about my life direction is to ask Jesus at the beginning of the year, “What is this year going to be about for me?”  I started this practice a decade ago and without fail the theme for the year has been instrumental in my growth and awareness in each season.  It is less a glimpse into the future but a preparedness that I cultivate in my everyday.  Whatever the theme may be, it allows me more awareness, gives more meaning to events and allows me to be ready when opportunities arise.  The themes are mostly uncomfortable and needed invitations to growth… the more uncomfortable the more I trust that this theme is from God and not manufactured by me:*)

Photo by Morgan Sessions on Unsplash

This year the theme came quickly.  The word is meek… not really an exciting word in and of itself.  But I did some research on the word and found that it has a much deeper meaning than I had assumed.  It comes from the Greek word Praus which means “strength under control”.  The term was specifically used in training wild horses to become warhorses, calm and strong in battle.  If the wildness was completely trained out of the horse it wouldn’t be strong-willed enough to survive.  If the horse was too wild, and couldn’t take orders or stay calm under duress, then it was also not ready.  It was only the praus (meek) that could have the strength to charge straight into harm’s way without wavering.  

Hmm…. I’ve got some work to do.  There are places in me that have been beaten into submission, too hidden to be any use.  There are places in me that are still wild, not able to be under healthy control.  This year will be about finding the balance of “strength under control” through discipline.   

A phrase that I came across in the research haunts me:  “The meek person endures injury with patience and without resentment.”

Take back authority over your life by being intentional about pursuing a theme for the year

-Matt