I don’t always just jump right onto a bandwagon, BUT… I think I was kind of on it already? If that’s possible. A word or concept that has been popping up for me the past few months has been humility. I’m a wordy person, so I often resist challenges that involve such clarity and conciseness. But this time when I saw One Little Word making the rounds, it resonated with me. The more I look into humility and read about it and try my best to live it out, I remember that it is not synonymous with quiet or timid or self-deprecating. This concept can mean a lot of things, but I don’t think the afore-mentioned characteristics are part of the definition. Often times I find that humility does mean keeping my mouth shut, but my focus on the concept is also what led me to start this blog. Kind of a strange contrast, but I think it works.

For me, humility means considering others better than myself (although not in such a way that I diminish my own God-given value) and striving to serve them. It means shutting my mouth sometimes, like when the thing I’m about to say- that amuses me- won’t serve the conversation or may hurt someone. It means seeking wisdom from above and listening to those with more experience, rather than relying on my own thoughts and feelings for guidance. It also means opening my mouth to share what I’ve learned and am learning, which involves laying aside my self-protective fears that are actually rooted in pride. It means a lot of other things, and I will share those as they come up. Should be super-fun, because it’s always fun to be humbled! Wait…

There are many verses that support the pursuit of humility, but I thought of Colossians 3:12.

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness,humility, meekness, and patience”

Good enough for me! So my #onelittleword for 2015 is humble. I’m not going to master it in a year, and will not stop seeking it after a year, but this year I want to learn more about it and incorporate it into my internal and external life.

How about you? Do you feel led to choose a word for your year?