Disengage

Each year brings about the hope for new adventures and possibilities. This year, I saw several friends adopting a “word of the year.” I’m not big on being trendy for the sake of being trendy, but this concept really grabbed my attention. I had already been considering several changes I wanted to make in my life and having a focus word seemed like a great way to help me remain on task.

I didn’t want to choose a random word, nor did I want to copy words I had seen others talking about. So I prayed about the changes I wanted to make and trusted that the Lord would guide me in my word selection. He did not fail. One of the changes I wanted to make was in how I responded to minor irritations and frustrations in my life. More often than I would like, I would engage in pointless arguments, use careless words, and work myself into a frenzy over things that just don’t matter. As I pondered this situation, the Lord gave me my word for the year – disengage. 

Dictionary.com defines disengage as verb 1. to release from attachment or connection; loosen; unfasten; 2. to free (oneself) from an engagement, pledge, obligation, etc.; 3. Military. to break off action with (an enemy). This was exactly what I was seeking to do. I wanted 2015 to be free from the belief that I had to be attached to petty arguments and gripes. But how was I going to put this word into action? Having a word of the year is one thing, applying it is another. Further prayer and meditation revealed that if I was going to disengage from certain types of thoughts and behaviors, I had to engage in others so as not to fall into a worse condition than when I began (Matthew 12:43-45).

The answer came from Galatians 5:16-26. Instead of engaging with my own thoughts, emotions, and sinful behaviors, I was to be in step with the Spirit. By engaging with Him, I would have the ability to disengage from my flesh and allow His spiritual fruit to be produced in and through me. Now, almost halfway through the year, I have been able to see a distinct difference in my thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. No longer do I feel like I HAVE to get frustrated and irritated by every little thing that goes wrong or conflicts that arise. Rather, I can submit to the Holy Spirit and disengage from enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, and divisions (v. 20).