What has this year been for you? Perhaps the year was filled with challenges, heartache, or health issues and you are ready to see 2025 in the rearview mirror. Conversely, maybe this has been the best year of your life, and you are sad to bid it farewell.
My year has been a combination of great joy and lingering grief. Such is life: a mix of highs and lows, joys and sorrows.
As we look ahead to a new year, here are a few things to keep in mind as you step across the threshold of 2026:
Let Go
Sometimes, sadness, fears, or hurts cling to us as we enter a new year. But despite lingering feelings and emotions, don’t allow them to shackle you like a ball and chain, dragging you down, and hindering forward motion.
Moving forward requires faith and the realization that God supports and equips. You can’t move ahead into something new if you are looking backwards. Don’t allow fear and anxiety to prevent you from taking next steps, steps that lead you to experience God’s best for you.
Embrace New Beginnings
Starting anything new can prove challenging. We gravitate toward what is safe and familiar, not wanting to venture into uncharted territory. But the flip side of hesitancy is expectancy. Instead of dreading, or fearing, new beginnings, embrace them.
A sweet friend had a vision of new beginnings for me in the new year. She saw a new greening, as leaves in the spring, that bud and grow rapidly. I accept that vision with expectation, looking forward to all the new year holds.
Looking Ahead
Do you have a vision for 2026? Proverbs 29:18 (VOICE) reminds us, “Where there is no vision from God, the people run wild, but those who adhere to God’s instruction know genuine happiness.”
Having clear vision for the new year involves more than your plan or perspective. Proper perception relies on God for wisdom and direction. Without guidance from His word, we stumble, or crash into dead-end barriers.
As you look ahead to the new year, ask God for his directives for your life.
Harness Hope
I have hope for the coming year because I have a history with God, and so do many of you. God’s faithfulness, compassion, mercy, and love have never failed me; therefore, I can face the coming year without fear.
None of us knows what lies ahead, but even if your path for 2026 proves rugged, God will not abandon you. He will faithfully guide and carry you over the roughest terrain. If your path is smooth, give thanks; if challenging, express gratitude for His provision, comfort, and support.
Let hope be your watchword for the coming year, knowing God is near.
“But this I call to mind, Therefore I have hope. It is because of the Lord’s lovingkindness that we are not consumed, Because His [tender] compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great and beyond measure is Your faithfulness (Lamentations 3: 21-23 AMP).
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NIV).
©CandyArrington
Candy Arrington is an award-winning writer, blogger, and speaker. She often writes on tough topics with a focus on moving through, and beyond, difficult life circumstances. Candy has written hundreds of articles, stories, and devotions published by numerous outlets including: Inspiration.org, Arisedaily.com, CBN.com, Healthgrades.com, Care.com, Focus on the Family, NextAvenue.org, CountryLiving.com, and Writer’s Digest. Candy’s books include Life on Pause: Learning to Wait Well (Bold Vision Books), When Your Aging Parent Needs Care (Harvest House), and AFTERSHOCK: Help, Hope, and Healing in the Wake of Suicide (B&H Publishing Group).
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