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Stepping Into 2026: A Year to Shine in Faith and Purpose

Stepping Into 2026: A Year to Shine in Faith and Purpose

Last updated on: December 14, 2025 at 5:00 am by Michele Gunn

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Stepping Into 2026: A Year to Shine in Faith and Purpose 2025-11-29T06:54:09-06:00 Michele Gunn

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Stepping Into 2026: A Year to Shine in Faith and Purpose/created with Canva

Near the end of every year, I sit with God and ask Him for a word to guide my heart into the coming year. It’s a practice that has shaped my walk with Him, my writing and the way I show up in both ministry and everyday life. It also helps me to keep my focus on my goals. Some years, the word comes slowly. Other years, it rises up like a whisper I just can’t ignore.

For 2026, the word came simply and clearly:

Shine.

Not strive.
Not hurry.
Not push.
But shine, as in let the light God placed within me radiate outward with purpose, warmth and grace.

This year, as I look back over the moments that tested, stretched, rewarded and strengthened me, I can see how God was preparing me for this word long before I knew to claim it. It is also a culmination of everything I have been working on in 2025. And as we step into a new year together, my prayer is that this reflection not only encourages you but helps you discover the light God is calling you to carry forward as well.

The Moments That Shaped My Faith This Year

When I think back over the past months, I see a tapestry of moments. Some were small, some unexpected and some profound. These moments slowly formed the spiritual rhythm of my year. There were the quiet mornings when prayer felt like breathing, not effort. The times when Scripture jumped off the page and spoke directly into my circumstances. And the times where I witnessed God move in ways that reminded me why faithfulness matters.

There were also moments in writing and ministry that reaffirmed the mission God has given me. As I wrote chapters for many anthologies, developed the Rise • Align • Shine assessment, as I wrote chapter after chapter of my book and as I shared articles like “Who God Created You to Be” and “Embracing Grace: Living as a Child of God in Everyday Life,” I realized that the same message God encourages me to offer others is the one He continually offers me: “Walk in who I created you to be.” That truth alone reshaped my entire year.

What Tested or Reaffirmed My Beliefs

No faith journey is complete without its valleys and this year had its share of those as well. There were moments when I wondered if I was ready for what God placed in front of me. At times, I questioned timing, calling or capacity. There were unexpected challenges that required patience that I didn’t feel I had and surrender that I wasn’t prepared to give. Yet every trial seemed to whisper the same gentle reminder: “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1, usccb.org)

I saw God reaffirm my beliefs in surprising ways. He showed up through answered prayer, through a renewed passion for writing, through opportunities I didn’t seek but were placed in my path and through people who supported, encouraged and guided me. He used my own columns, such as “Align Your Life: Living in Purposeful Harmony,” to minister to me even as I wrote to minister to others. God has a way of turning our offerings into boomerangs of grace. Through it all, I remembered a powerful truth: Light shines brightest in the places that test us. Maybe that is why “shine” is the word He placed on my heart now.

The Meaning of “Shine” as I Enter 2026

As I sat with the word “shine,” I asked God what it truly meant for this new season. Three things surfaced: identity, calling and testimony.

1. Shine as Identity

I shine not because I am perfect, polished, or fearless. I shine because He is the Light within me. “Arise! Shine, for your light has come, the glory of the LORD has dawned upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1, usccb.org) To shine is to embrace the woman God created me to be; strengths, flaws, purpose and all.

2. Shine as Calling

Shining means stepping forward with courage. It means serving, speaking life, encouraging and using every God-given gift without shrinking back. It means continuing the mission behind Cultivate & Thrive: awakening women to their identity, helping them align their lives with God’s purpose and guiding them to shine boldly in who they were created to be.

3. Shine as Testimony

To shine is to live in such a way that people don’t see me, they see God. Refer to Matthew 5:16, “Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” (usccb.org) This is the kind of shining God is calling me into. I will live a year of illuminating His goodness, not my own.

Where I See Hope Shine as I Step Into 2026

Hope is not wishful thinking. It is an expectation grounded in God’s faithfulness. As I look forward to 2026, I see hope everywhere. I see:

Hope Shines in God’s Promises

He is already in every tomorrow. Every chapter of life is waiting to be written and is held firmly in His hands. Hope is in every opportunity yet to come.

Hope Shines for the Women I Serve

I see hope in the women who are awakening to who God created them to be. There is hope in those discovering their strengths. Hope lives in those choosing alignment over confusion. Hope grows in those preparing to step out and shine in their own callings.

Hope Shines in My Own Transformation

I feel God inviting me to walk more deeply with Him. I am called to walk through prayer, through service and through writing that flows from the heart. I am called to shine through speaking and coaching. I see hope in the ways He is shaping me, grounding me and preparing me for what’s ahead.

I also see hope because light always points forward. As John 1:5 reminds us, “the light shines in the darkness,and the darkness has not overcome it.” (usccb.org) God is always there for me. He is also always there for you!

Finding Your Own Word And Your Own Light

If you have never chosen a word of the year, perhaps it is time to. Choose a word that
reflects your season and God’s invitation for your life.

Ask Him:

What are You calling me toward?
What truth do You want me to carry?
Where are You inviting me to grow, surrender, or rise?

Your word will come. If you would like help discovering your word of the year, I have shared the process I use and have been using for years to guide others on Facebook through Cultivate and Thrive as well as on LinkedIn through Cultivate and Thrive.On those pages you will find videos as well as worksheets to help guide you through the process.

When you discover your word, carry it with courage. Use it with intention. Know that God is not finished with you. He has a plan for your life and it is good.

A Prayer as We Step Into 2026

I offer a prayer to illuminate your path, strengthen your faith and empower you to shine for His glory. Let’s pray it together:

Lord, as we enter this new year, may Your light rise upon us.
Illuminate our paths.
Strengthen our hearts.
Deepen our faith.
Help us shine not with our own brilliance,
but with the radiance of Your love.

May 2026 be a year of purpose, clarity, and boldness.
A year of surrender and joy.
A year where we shine—fully, freely, and faithfully—
for Your glory alone.

Amen.

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