Ditching Doubt in 2022: Wednesday in the Word

It seems everyone has a word for the new year. I thought I might try it. But no matter how much thought I gave it,  I couldn’t choose one word to encapsulate all I want to do in 2022.

There are worksheets and websites to lead interested parties through the process. I checked some out, but I still failed to wrap my mind around the practice. Maybe it’s not for me.

Or maybe it is, just in a modified form. As a writer, speaker, and believer there is one thing I’ve struggled with lately that impacts all I do. What if I worked to eliminate that from my life?

One thing came to mind. Doubt. It’s not that I lost my faith. However, I’ve been praying a prayer for my family consistently for several years, and I haven’t seen results yet. I’ve been taking time to learn and grow in my writing and speaking ministries, and I haven’t seen the growth I’d hoped for at this point. These kinds of things can let a seed of doubt slip in.

Maybe you’ve experienced it in your own life. Trying to figure out the ‘why nots’ is exhausting spiritually and mentally.

That’s when I decided. I’m ditching doubt in 2022.

Direction set, I even wrote about it in my most recent newsletter. I figure there’s more accountability to stick with it if others know. Even though I wasn’t doubting my direction (see what I did there?), God still chose to confirm it.

I listen to the Your Best Writing Life podcast fairly often. New episodes release on Tuesday, and that just happened to fall on the morning after I made my decision about ditching doubt in 2022. Within the first couple minutes of this episode, the host’s words confirmed what I needed to do.

Reading from 2 Samuel 7, she reminded me of all God has done for my in my writing, speaking, and family life.  I took time to really think about it, and I can see God working in all these areas of my life. I may not be where I think I should be and my final prayer for my family may not have arrived, but God is still working.

Then, came a reminder that with God all things are possible. It was as if God put that episode in the line-up just for me. If I’m called to writing and speaking and mothering, then despite my flaws and failures, God will provide what I need to do the job. He always has, and He always will.

I know it won’t be easy eliminating doubt from my vocabulary in the coming year. I’ll have to find new and creative ways to keep God’s promises of faithfulness, strength, provision, and guidance firmly in my mind and heart.

I know I’ll probably stumble along the way. But with the father in Mark 9:24,I’ll keep crying out,  “‘I do believe; help my unbelief.'”

Do you have a word for 2022? I’d love for you to share it. Or maybe, like me, you feel like there’s something God wants you to ditch in 2022. You can share that too.

We can pray for each other along the way and cheer each other on to success.