Word for 2024

I was enjoying a new post from a fellow blogger that I have followed for a while – Ms. Ritu – and her post was about her word for 2024. She went on to explain how she does not set resolutions for the year, but rather picks a word to be the focal point for the year. I thought that was a good idea and wanted to give it a try for this year.

I’m really in a season of desiring an acceleration of growth – in every aspect of life. I’m setting out to read and study more, write more, create more content, spiritual growth, family growth, figuring out where I need to be professionally, etc. Chewing over all of these things, I figured out the word for 2024 is going to be:

Occupation!

I had thought of this Scripture:

11And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. 12He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

Luke 19.11-13; KJV

From there, I went and looked up Occupation in the old Websters 1828 Dictionary:

OCCUPA’TION, noun [Latin occupatio.]

1. The act of taking possession.

2. Possession; a holding or keeping; tenure; use; as lands in the occupation of AB.

3. That which engages the time and attention; employment; business. He devotes to study all the time that his other occupations will permit.

4. The principal business of one’s life; vocation; calling; trade; the business which a man follows to procure a living or obtain wealth. Agriculture, manufactures and commerce furnish the most general occupations of life. Painting, statuary, music, are agreeable occupations. Men not engaged in some useful occupation commonly fall into vicious courses.

Websters 1828 Dictionary

It also dawned on me while writing this down in my notebook how I can often use words and don’t really think about their meaning. I have heard occupation used for a job/profession for most of my life, but never actually thought about it being occupying. This led me to another question: Are our jobs occupying us, or we them?!

Ms. Ritu, thank you for the post! I thought it was a great way to approach the year.

I hope everyone has a blessed year indeed!