Choosing What Honors God
A Gentler Way Forward, Guided by Wisdom and the Spirit
It’s remarkable to find ourselves standing in the year 2026.
I remember the years, months and days leading up to the 21st century, when reports circulated about the possible collapse of all computer systems, anything dependent on software at the time. The concern was widespread. Panic followed. Many companies spent millions upon millions of dollars creating fixes and safeguards in response to what felt like a looming unknown.
For many, that season stirred anxiety and fear. We all carried a sense that everything might suddenly go dark and that feeling is unsettling at best. It was a time when our faith, whether we realized it or not, was being tested.
Now, twenty-six years later, a little more than a quarter of a century we find ourselves surrounded by a different kind of noise. Endless news cycles. Weather reports filled with urgency. Headlines designed to capture attention and stir emotion. So much competing for our focus, often pulling our thoughts away from what truly matters most.
As Christians, we are not immune to this swirl of distraction. We, too, can become caught up in the madness of it all if we’re not careful. Yet the invitation remains the same as it always has: to anchor our hearts, steady our minds, and return to the truth that does not change.
There is something tender about the turning of a year.
Not because a date changes, but because we pause.
We listen more closely.
We ask better questions.
Not What should I fix?
But What would honor the Lord?
Scripture never rushes us into resolutions. Instead, it invites us into wisdom. The slow, faithful choosing of what aligns our lives with God’s heart.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
— Proverbs 3:5–6
As we step into a new season, perhaps the invitation is not to resolve harder—but to choose more wisely, with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Honoring God With Our Time, Talent, and Treasure
Time is the first gift we steward and often the one we spend most carelessly.
Scripture reminds us that wisdom notices time, names it, and uses it well.
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
— Psalm 90:12
Our talents, too, are not for comparison or performance, but for faithfulness.
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.”
— Proverbs 16:3
And our treasures, whether much or little, are meant to flow through open hands.
“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.”
— Proverbs 3:9
This is not about doing more.
It is about offering what we already carry back to God.
Honoring God With Our Bodies and Minds
Our culture often separates the spiritual from the physical, but Scripture does not.
God cares deeply about how we tend the bodies and minds He has entrusted to us.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
— Proverbs 4:23
Wisdom asks us to slow down and notice:
What am I consuming?
What am I believing?
What am I rehearsing in my thoughts?
The Psalms give us language for this kind of daily re-centering:
“Search me, God, and know my heart… See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.” — Psalm 139:23–24
Honoring God here often looks like rest, gentleness, and truth-telling, especially with ourselves.
Honoring God With Our Words
Our mouths carry extraordinary power.
“The tongue has the power of life and death.” — Proverbs 18:21
What we speak to others, and over ourselves shapes the atmosphere of our lives.
The early church understood this well. They didn’t rely on clever speech or human strength; they relied on the Spirit’s leading.
“Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”
— Acts 4:31
Sometimes honoring God with our words means speaking courageously.
Sometimes it means choosing silence.
Always, it means listening first.
A Different Kind of Resolution
The Psalms are full of declarations not demands, but desires shaped by God.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
— Psalm 51:10
This year, instead of rigid resolutions, we might whisper prayers like these:
Lord, order my steps.
Holy Spirit, slow me down.
Give me wisdom where I’ve been rushing.
Help me choose what honors You, even when no one sees.
Because the Christian life is not powered by willpower, it is sustained by dependence. Dependence on God!
“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty. — Zechariah 4:6
Closing Prayer
Dear Lord,
As we step into a new season, we offer You our choices.
Not perfect ones, faithful ones.
Teach us to listen before we act,
to seek wisdom before we speak,
and to rely on Your Spirit in every small, ordinary moment.
May our lives quietly honor You.
Amen.
A Gentle Way Forward
As we step forward into this new year, may we resist the pressure to rush or resolve our way through it. Instead, may we choose what honors God quietly, faithfully, one decision at a time. Wisdom does not demand perfection; it invites surrender. And when we listen for the Spirit’s leading, even our smallest choices can become sacred.
An Invitation to Reflect
I invite you to pause with this for a moment. Ask the Lord what one area of your life He may be inviting you to bring into alignment your time, your words, your rest, or your trust.
If you’d like to continue this journey of choosing what honors God, I warmly welcome you to stay connected here. There is more wisdom, prayer, and gentle encouragement ahead.
With joy,
Tina 💖✨
Joy God’s Way™
Choosing wisdom. Living gently.
Walking faithfully with God one day, one choice at a time.