Here we are almost halfway through the year and I haven’t written about my One Word for this year. It’s probably because I didn’t understand it when it came to me that last day of December. I still don’t…fully.

What I wanted more than anything this year was change so that’s the word I chose. Ironically, the first thing to change…was my word!

On the last day of the year, while praying, I realized there was something about that word that just didn’t settle, but I had no other ideas. Not wanting to force a focus unnecessarily, I considered abandoning the idea all altogether. Then this random word came to mind….receive. It didn’t make sense in my mind, but it did settle in my heart. I knew I had my word, but I had no idea what it meant for me.

Initially I thought receive had everything to do with receiving from God. The only reason I could postulate as to why God began my year by giving me this word was that He must be indicating I was to receive some things from Him by the end of it. It created a newfound sense of expectation, yet my first real inspiration concerning this word was different than expected.

It happened a few months into the year, on the heels of some hurtful words spoken to me. Unlike other times, instead of reeling from the blow, what came to me was, Guard your heart!, an admonition to not allow these words entrance…to not receive them. It was then I realized this word receive was not only about things I was to receive, but was also about things I was not to receive.

Overwhelmed by this unexpected perspective and the unmistakable clarity of this, I finally looked up the meaning of the word. Much to my surprise, it coincided perfectly with what I sensed the Lord saying concerning guarding my heart, for one of the primary definitions of receive is

to permit to enter, to admit

Essentially, I was to refuse to permit damaging words entrance into my heart where they would have untold negative effects. I was also reminded it wasn’t only the hurtful words of others that could bring harm, but maybe even more damaging were the words I allowed into my heart from my own negative thoughts. Bill Johnson says it well…

“I cannot afford to have a thought in my head about me that is not in His”

Put plainly, no matter where the hurtful words, condemning thoughts, or demeaning voices are coming from, do not receive them…do not permit them entrance. Since another of the definitions of receive is…

to accept as authoritative, true, or accurate, to believe…

it’s alarmingly apparent we’ve underestimated the damage incurred from what we allow into our hearts…from words we receive.

Therefore, let’s guard these hearts of ours from intrusion as with spiritual padlocks. Let’s not receive any words contrary to His words about any thing. The truth of the matter is…the enemy knows if he can get us to receive them, he can get us to believe them.

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.   Proverbs 4:23 NLT