Word for 2025

 

 

Back in June of 2023 I blogged about the book I was reading Having a Mary Heart in A Martha World and in that post, titled Busy, Busy, Busy I shared an expanded version of the verse above.

 "Come to me, all who [labor until worn out] and are [loaded down, burdened] and I will give you [refreshment for your soul].  Take my [bar that unites us in work] upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and [lowly in spirit relying on God] and you will find [blessed tranquility of soul].  For my yoke is [good, eternally useful] and my burden is [easy to bear, not burdensome]." 

I found this expanded version to be such an encouragement.  The different definitions for the burdens we will face and the different types of rest Jesus provides shows how His care is so complete for every circumstance we will face.  The ideas of refreshment and tranquility especially spoke to me; similar yet different and nourishing our souls in different ways.  We can be refreshed to carry on and we can carry on in tranquility when we are united with Jesus in His purposes and relying on Him for every step.

A few months ago I was chatting with one of our girls and she suggested the word rest for 2025.  The more I thought about it the more I realized how well it dovetails with my word for 2024.  I had chosen faithful as my word for 2024.  As God has been teaching me to be faithful, regardless of if things change or don't change; learning to rest in His faithfulness and to leave those things that burden me in His hands, is an important thing to focus on in 2025.  

The other side to this is the day-to-day practice of learning that it's okay to rest.  In a world where we're constantly told to be more, do more, learn more, find our value in more.  We need to  remember that we have value in Whose we are not what we do, that being united (yoked) with Jesus means we just have to follow His lead and it's okay to let the rest go.  To not be distracted by things/busyness that doesn't really matter.  To find our rest in Him is what we really need to do. 

So, my word for 2025 is rest!