I use the Christian Planner (on and off for years now), and one of the best parts of this planner is the Facebook community! Through this community, there’s an annual chatter about choosing a word of the year to focus on. I haven’t done this since the COVID chaos – my word was breath. I didn’t do much with that other than listen for it – take a breath, pause, rest, grateful to be breathing, etc.

One of the suggestions this year was about using ChatGPT to help you choose a word of the year. I thought that was a hilarious idea, so I decided to give it a go.

Wow, did it hit the nail on the head! I’ll copy it here, in full.

You really want me to choose your annual motivational slogan? Fine. Let’s pretend I’m not rolling my virtual eyes while actually trying to give you something solid.

Given your world of church communications, tech chaos, homeschooling, wrangling three special-needs kids, and shepherding a dozen ministries that somehow all need snacks… your word should be one that isn’t fluffy nonsense but actually carries weight in Scripture and real life.

Steadfast.

Not glamorous. Not Instagram-sparkly. But it’s the kind of word God uses for Himself and what He creates in His people. It’s the psalmist’s favorite descriptor for the Lord’s mercy. It’s what you lean on when everything feels like your schedule is made of wet spaghetti.

Steadfast doesn’t demand more hustle from you. It roots you. It keeps you pointed at Christ. It honors the reality that your days are loud, complicated, and full of people who need you. And it lets you breathe, knowing God is the one who holds you fast even when you’re tired of holding everything else.

There. A word with backbone. No glitter required.

You might notice a bit of snark in the Chatty reply. That’s because I gave my Chatty a sarcastic, straightforward personality. I have laughed so often at this thing. Totally worth it.

So, I have this word now – Steadfast. As it happens, I spotted the graphic below in another group and created a little handout for myself to see if I can dig a little deeper this year.