Let God guide your 2026
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By the time you’re reading this, it’s well past New Years. Texas might have seen some ice and snow by now, we’re well into 2026, and all post-holiday feelings might be settling in.
The beginning months of the new year always feel a little odd to me because although it’s the start of something new, there’s a letdown of excitement and activity from December. I want to try and be a better person with this fresh start, but I get so overwhelmed with New Year’s resolutions.
Last year, I wrote about a tradition that I love to do at the beginning of the year which feels more applicable to my life than picking any kind of resolution I know I’m going to fail at. I randomly pick, with guidance from the Holy Spirit, a virtue and a fruit of the Spirit as found in Galatians 5:22-23 — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I don’t really do words of the year because I forget them so easily, but by choosing a fruit and virtue, there is something more concrete to set my life on.
I view fruits of the Holy Spirit as characteristics of God that He shows to humanity. The more we become like God, the more we allow ourselves to be molded into His character and to have His own heart of flesh as described in Ezekiel 36, and the more we will exhibit these fruits in our own lives.
While I was praying about 2026, I felt like God was saying this will be a soft year for me. That He wants to show me His gentleness towards me, and likewise, I’ll be able to show a supernatural gentleness towards others.
When I put all the fruits of the Holy Spirit in a cup and randomly chose one, guess which one I pulled? You guessed it: gentleness!
I believe the Lord wants to show the world more of His gentle and compassionate ways. He’s not a God to beat people over the head until they listen to Him — He’s way too compassionate of a Shepherd to do that.
When I look at the world, I see a society screaming of wanting to be known, seen, loved, and heard. A lot of my job as a full-time Catholic evangelist is just meeting people where they are and listening to their hearts and stories without judgment or condemnation, but a tender and gentle heart ready to receive them and bring them back to the Lord.
I don’t know the feelings you have towards this new year. Maybe you’re the type of person who loves a refresh, has dreams and goals, and is ready to tackle life. Maybe you’re the type of person who’s just trying to survive and make it through another hour, day, week, month. Or maybe you’re between the two.
Whatever your feelings about 2026 are, can I tell you something? God is already there. There is no guesswork with Him. He has already gone before us, paving our way into this glorious new year.
This year is holy because God has made it holy. The more we come to Him, lay down our lives at His feet and surrender ourselves to Him, the more we will be molded into Him and have His perspective: a heavenly vision.
We’re able to live out the fruits of the Holy Spirit because we’ve experienced them ourselves! God sees the whole plan and wants to be a part of it, not just a side character in your life. He wants to be your God!
Wherever you are right now, God wants to be there too. Invite Him in.