It felt strange really, the word that kept coming to mind. Like it didn’t really fit and yet at the same time it made incredible sense. I’ve always thought words should be inspiring or call me out to action, that they should related to personal and business growth (and honestly, most of my words in the past have fallen pretty safely into that category.)

But not this one.
And to top it off, it felt like if I chose this word there was going to be a lot of turbulence in order for me to settle safely into it.

What is the word, you ask?
Peace.

Over and over it kept rising to the surface, so much so that it was beginning to be undeniable.

I had just memorized 2 Thessalonians 3:16, “Now may the Lord of Peace Himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.”

I fell in love with the passage (God does that often as well treasure His word in our heart). But get this- when the verse says, “may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace” it’s literally saying THE LORD GIVE YOU HIMSELF! That no matter what comes in the year, the way we have deep quietness of soul, the way we have rest is by having Jesus. The Lord of Peace give you Himself. Okay…I was falling in love with the word. But then get what comes next.

“…at all times in every way.” Did you catch that? God wants to give us Himself (peace) at all times in every way. Another version of this passage says in every circumstance.

Jesus for every circumstance I might encounter in 2026. Peace for each day, peace for decisions. Jesus at all times. Peace in every way.

I was loving the word more and more.
And if that wasn’t enough, the final line solidified it for me. It says, “The Lord be with you all.”

First glance doesn’t do it justice. When I studied what the words in the passage meant, it’s literally saying, “The Lord go behind and before you.”

He was the God who was with me in years past (and I recalled all He was, all He’d done, all He lead me through) and He goes before me into this next year in peace.

Maybe today you needed to hear this verse as well, that you needed to be reminded that the Lord of peace wants to give you Himself for every circumstance you encounter. Maybe you needed reminding that He was with you behind and He is with you as He goes before. I know I did.

So peace is my word for this year.
Maybe it can be yours too….