5 Ways to Grow in 2026
As we turn the corner from one year to the next, we have an opportunity to reflect on the year behind us and envision what lies ahead. As you consider the coming year, try on this idea: the quality of your life will be shaped far more by who you are than by what you accomplish. What we accomplish certainly matters, but how we respond to the realities we face shapes our lives just as much.
So what if our goal this year were to step more fully into who we are in Christ as we seek to live out what he has called us to? Romans 12 teaches us to “not be conformed to the pattern of this world.” In other words, don’t live in reaction to the world, and don’t let the world tell you who you are. Instead, “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The passive construction of that phrase—be transformed—suggests that God can be at work in us regardless of what life brings. Here are five ways to open ourselves to that renewing work.
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1. In a hurried world, learn to pause.
We all feel the pull of commitments, schedules, and responsibilities—from family, friends, work, and even good hobbies. As life accelerates, we begin to believe the lie that if I can just do enough, everything will be okay. Busyness often walks hand in hand with the feeling that life is out of control: If I just read one more book, finish one more project, or get my kid into one more activity, things will settle down.
This way of living drives us into reactivity and quietly erodes our creativity, discipline, and perspective.
Pausing is a strategic way to step out of a reactive life. Pauses can take many forms. A 60-second pause to slow your breathing can make prayer more contemplative and less frantic. A one-hour pause at the beginning of the week can bring clarity and focus to what matters most. God even prescribed a weekly one-day pause for Israel—not only to celebrate what they had been given, but to allow their lives and their world to recover from the week behind them.
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2. Move from exhaustion to enjoyment.
The CEO of Netflix once said their greatest competitor was not Prime, HBO, or cable television, but “sleep.” That statement reveals how little our culture understands rest. Netflix has recognized—and capitalized on—the reality that much of our exhaustion is not physical, but mental and emotional. We collapse in front of screens because our brains are spent long before our bodies are.
In modern America, “rest” often means escape. We look for ways to numb out rather than truly recover. But habitual escapism only postpones the rest our minds and bodies actually need.
Jesus said, “Come to me, all who are weary, and I will give you rest.”
Many people assume God’s vision of rest is boring—lying around, doing nothing enjoyable.Nothing could be further from the truth. God does not invite us to escape ourselves, but to experience restoration and delight. Sabbath exists for a reason: work hard, do good, pursue meaningful things—and then intentionally stop to enjoy what has been given. Truemrest honors body, mind, and spirit. What our bodies need is not idleness, but integration— the space to feel, process, and attend to the sources of our exhaustion.
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3. In a world of spirituality, learn the way of Jesus.
In response to widespread exhaustion, our culture markets self-care, balance, and meaning through various forms of pseudo-spirituality. Often, these simply replace one kind of striving with another. “Spirituality” becomes whatever helps me feel whole—usually built on my ability to perform.
Scripture affirms care for the body, but spirituality without God quickly turns into another tyrant. Whether the obsession is health, balance, or self-discovery, each demands performance in exchange for fulfillment.
The good news is that we don’t have to choose between striving for acceptance or hiding behind ideas. We can learn the way of Jesus. The way of Jesus begins with this reality: you are loved—period. Grace is given, not earned. It meets you where you are and then goes to work within you, patiently untangling the complicated parts of your life and revealing who you truly are in God’s eyes.
What does this way look like? Each person’s journey is unique, but it is shaped by the historic practices of faith, community, obedience, trust, and worship.
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4. In a soundbite world, think broadly.
Have you ever tried to imagine reading a novel in bullet points? Or listening to a symphony in “condensed form”? Or reading the Bible using only paragraph headings?
It sounds absurd—yet this is how we increasingly consume the world. News comes as headlines. Opinions arrive as hot takes. Entertainment is compressed into seconds. In our exhaustion, it feels easier to react than to seek understanding.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to see the world as God sees it—not as it is marketed to us. What if we pursued context instead of outrage, patience instead of certainty, and humility instead of having an opinion on everything? It is okay to admit that we can only know so much.
Scripture reading has always been God’s people’s way of choosing depth over noise. Some read the Bible in a year. Others begin with a chapter a day. Over time, we stop seeing isolated verses and start seeing God’s larger story—his mission, his heart, and his purposes. And in doing so, we begin to see the world more clearly.
In 2026, consider a Bible reading plan—even a simple one. Let God’s story illuminate your own.
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5. In a world of “what,” choose “who.”
The Harvard Longitudinal Study followed men across decades of life, from many different backgrounds. Its most compelling finding was simple: the happiest men were those who were deeply connected in relationships.
A relationship with Christ draws us into relationship with his people. God’s desire is not only that you be connected to him, but meaningfully connected to others.
There will be highs and lows in 2026. The people you walk with will shape your experience more than your circumstances. What might it look like to have stronger friendships and healthier relationships a year from now? Few choices will leverage your life more powerfully for what truly matters.
Let 2026 be the year you choose relationships over accomplishments.
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“Your habits will not change God’s love for you, but God’s love for you should change your habits.”
— Justin Whitmel Earley
Every new year carries both hope and cost. Beginning with God’s love allows us to step into 2026 from a place of grace. We are already loved, accepted, and pursued. We don’t have to chase habits to earn what has already been given. God’s love is the foundation.
Let 2026 be the year God’s vision for your life takes root and grows in all you do.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
— Ephesians 3:20–21
