Finding Your Word for the Year

By Melissa McGath | December 10, 2025

A few weeks ago, the night sky put on an amazing show here in Minnesota. For the second time in a month, the Northern Lights appeared as vivid streaks of green, red, and purple. The colors shifted through the night and into the next morning, casting new shades of magenta, turquoise, and violet.

I stood outside looking up in complete awe. I couldn’t help but thank God for His wonderful creation. Even in darkness, He provides splendor and beauty. Thankfully, I happened to be in the right place at the right time to experience it. 

It made me think about how God uses moments like these to get our attention—to get us to pause, reflect, and see Him. As the year comes to a close, that’s what I’ve done: paused, listened, and asked, “Lord, what are You saying for the year ahead?” 

That reflection naturally leads into something we do each year at VOOM. Recently, our team met to discuss our Word of the Year for 2026. It’s a word that helps us focus, stay aligned, and move forward with clarity. I began by assessing where we’ve been, where we are now, and praying about where God is leading us next. 

How to Find Your Own Word of the Year 

If you’re looking to set direction for the year ahead, here’s a simple way to find your word: 

  1. Pause and pray. Ask God what He wants to shape in you this year—not just what you want to accomplish. 
  1. Reflect on patterns. What’s been stretching or strengthening you this past year? What words or themes keep surfacing? Jot them all down. 
  1. Look to Scripture. Read through passages that center your heart. Between #2 and #3, circle words that overlap or stand out. 
  1. Define them. Narrow your list by defining the circled words. How do they relate to where your business or life is at? 
  1. Test it. Sit on it for a few days and come back to it. Does it bring clarity, peace, or excitement? 
  1. Add it to your 2026 Plan. Include it in your yearly presentation or weekly team agenda so it stays front and center. 

For VOOM, our 2026 word of the year is Abide. 

To abide means to remain, stay, or continue in a deep and ongoing relationship with God. It is a call to persistent faith, which is actively demonstrated through obedience, prayer, and dwelling in His Word.  

As we enter 2026, Abide is more than a word for us; it’s a rhythm for how we work and lead: 

  • Spiritually: Stay near the Vine—dependence over demand. 
  • Operationally: Build systems that reflect peace and order, not hurry. 
  • Relationally: Deepen trust—with our team, clients, and partners. 
  • Strategically: Align every initiative—from our processes to our systems—with purpose and patience. 

In a world that celebrates speed and constant motion, Abide feels like a needed reminder to rest and trust in Him in every moment. He is the true source of all that is good, and the one who offers lasting peace. 

Just like the Northern Lights, God’s presence isn’t something we can manufacture—it’s something we notice when we slow down and make space to see His glory. 

This holiday season, we pray you’ll have moments to abide in the wonder of God’s glory and grace lavished on us through the gift of His Son Jesus—our Savior, Lord, and King. Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year from each of us at Voom Creative! 

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Ready to discover your own Word of the Year? Download our How to Find Your Word of the Year worksheet to help you find focus for the year ahead. 

Want to keep the inspiration going? Visit the Voom Creative Blogfor more stories, reflections, and practical encouragement to help you lead and live with purpose. 

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”

John 15:4