Want a Calmer, Kinder Year? Gratitude or Peace Could Be Your One Word Focus in 2026

Today we’re continuing our One Word 2026 series, and I’m offering you two more invitations to consider for the year ahead: grateful and peaceful. My heart for this series is simple—I want you to listen for what God might be forming in you as you look back on 2025 and step into 2026 with intention. Gratitude can feel “easy” in theory, but it actually takes attention and practice, because it’s so easy to drift into discontent without realizing it. And peace isn’t about having a quiet, trouble-free life—it’s the kind of inner calm Jesus gives that can hold steady even when your soul feels disturbed. We’ll look at Luke 17 (the one healed leper who comes back to give thanks) and Hannah’s story in 1 Samuel (how she leaves God’s presence with peace before her circumstances change), and I’ll invite you to imagine what might happen if you learned to give thanks in every circumstance—and to bring your turbulence to God so He can exchange it for His peace.

What I'll Share:

• A clear picture of gratitude as a posture and discipline—not just a personality trait or a fleeting feeling.

• A challenge to notice the “opposite spirit” of gratitude (discontent, dissatisfaction, thanklessness) and how easily we slip into it without attention.

• A practical invitation to give thanks in every circumstance, including the hard or unwanted parts of life, by asking God how He might be shaping you through them.

• A fresh understanding of gratitude as a catalyst for love, creating space in your heart for compassion and care for others.

• A biblical framework for peace as “freedom from disturbance”—not merely the absence of fear or trouble.

• A way to recognize agitation in your body and soul (tight jaw, tense shoulders, restless energy) and treat it as an invitation to bring your heart to God.

• Encouragement from Hannah’s story that peace can be real before answers arrive—because peace comes from God’s presence, not perfect outcomes.

• Two simple affirmations you can practice all year if either word becomes your focus for 2026.

Bible Verses Mentioned:

• Philippians 1

• 1 Thessalonians 5:18

• Luke 17

• John 14:27

• 1 Samuel 1–2

Resources Mentioned

• Free One Word 2026 reflection guide: Nicoleunice.com/newyear/

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