Word for the Year 2026: FEAR

For those who watch my stories on Instagram, this will not be a surprise as I posted about it in October based on something Brandy Vencel wrote (probably should take a gander at that again).

I’ve been considering [ahem – 2025 Word For the Year] it since at least June, pretty certain I was going to choose it for 2026. (I know it was at least June because my pastor preached a sermon then on FEAR).

In December, I almost chickened out and switched to “Wait” based on a couple of sermons by one of my other Pastors.

But … really FEAR. We think about FEAR, Awe, FEAR Not … what do we FEAR? How is it different from Scared? From Anxious? What should we fear? Someone in my home said that the Angels in the Christmas Story really say “Stop Screaming!” instead of “FEAR Not!” If the FEAR of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, How does one FEAR the Lord? If Adam and Eve “heard the Lord in the garden and hid because [they] were afraid” how was that the wrong kind of FEAR? How do we trust? How are we confident and bold to pray?

I have some books in mind (for my Scholé Sisters 5×5 category):
1. When People are Big and God is Small by Welch
2. Rejoice & Tremble by Reeves
3. Awe by Tripp
4. The Anxious Generation by Haidt
5.

I’d be interested if you have a suggestion for Book 5.

Interestingly, my daughter was having similar thoughts about her first Word for the Year from reading The Republic (fear vs courage) and thinking about how knowledge and love and faith all cast out fear. There are so many different angles.

As we say … Apples and Trees; Chips and Blocks as it were. Pretty sure we’ll have some great conversations about it!

I think this could be quite the Word to consider for 2026.

Do you have a Word for the Year? What was this 2025’s? What are you thinking about for 2026?