I wasn’t feeling confident about my word for 2022.

I usually go into the new year with an idea or two about what my word of the year will be. It isn’t usually a surprise and typically is a word I’ve seen popping up here and there in the weeks leading to January 1.

But this year I had nothing.

So I was trying to force words, wanting something great and profound, something that sounds really intelligent and wise, and I sat down this morning with my Bible and a list of great words with great meanings and began to pray and seek…

And the Lord erased my list.

Nope. No nice, fancy word this year. No deep, profound meaning. No extensive vocabulary lesson or hidden meaning.

Instead, He gave me three letters.

ALL.

See, it turns out the Bible has quite a bit to say about all… how Jesus is all, how God created all, how all things are in His hands, how He came for all, how all is by Him and for Him, how He is all we need, how He wants our all…

He’s not a “some” kind of God. He’s not a “partial” or “just a little bit” kind of God. He’s not a “whatever you feel like giving me” kind of God. He’s an ALL kind of God.

And He knows when we’re holding back. He knows when we’ve surrendered most of the things but we’re still holding on to that one thing over there in the corner. He knows when we’re trusting Him with that big stuff, but we’re still trying to control the small stuff. He knows when we’re praying over all of that but not talking to Him about this. He knows when we’re going through the motions but our hearts are not in check. He knows the thoughts, He knows the feelings, He knows the desires, He knows the attitudes… He knows.

So this is the year of all. All is not easy. All is surrender. It is recognizing all that I lack without Him and accepting all that He is. It is letting go of all my own wants and desires and embracing His plans. It is relinquishing all false sense of control to clasp hands with the One who has all control.

All is commitment. It is whole heart, whole mind, whole soul. It is knowing when to say yes and when to say no so that those yeses can be all in. It is being present in the moment. It is loving like Jesus and serving with gratitude. It is realizing that every single task of the day is for the glory of God.

Here’s to being all in in 2022 💜