2026: Live Well, Finish Strong

We live in a world that constantly keeps score. The most points win sports championships. Exceed expectations at work and promotions follow. Almost everything around us trains us to believe that what can be counted is what matters most. And yet, as we begin another year, the Bible reminds us that God counts very differently. Many things we work so hard for don’t carry the same weight in His economy. Among the many lives recorded in the Bible, there is one man whose life God chose to highlight—not because of what he accomplished, but because of how he walked. His name is Enoch.

Enoch Interrupts the Pattern

Genesis 5 reads like a record book—names listed, years counted, sons mentioned, and the same phrase repeated again and again: “and he died.” Life is measured carefully, almost mechanically. Most men in that chapter live well past 900 years. Then, almost awkwardly, the rhythm breaks.

“Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” (Genesis 5:24)

No list of achievements. No public recognition. No visible success story. Just one simple sentence about a walk. Every time I read it, it slows me down. It reminds me that heaven notices things we often overlook.

Enoch: 365 Years in a World of 900

Enoch’s 365 years stand out sharply in a world where most people lived over 900 years. Proportionally, he lived only about a third of the lifespan of those around him. If we were to place that in today’s context, it would be like living 35 or 40 years in a world where most people reach 90.

Yet Scripture never treats Enoch as someone whose life was cut short. Instead, it reads as though his life was complete. That challenges the way I think about time—about how long something lasts versus how fully it is lived. God seems far more interested in completion than duration.

Enoch: What God Counted

Ever heard of Kenan? How about Mahalalel? Most of us haven’t. And yet they lived extraordinarily long lives—nearly nine hundred years on average. The Bible records how long they lived, but it does not pause to tell us how they walked.

With Enoch, God does something different. He records relationship.

The Hebrew word for walked—Halak (הָלַךְ), carries a deeper meaning than simply moving from one place to another. It speaks of the way a person lives—the direction their life takes over time. To walk (halak) with God is to shape everyday choices, attitudes, and priorities around Him. It isn’t about occasional spiritual moments, but about a steady, faithful pattern of living in step with God—close to Him, in agreement with Him, learning to move at His pace, one day at a time. The prophet Amos asks a question that explains this clearly:

“Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3)

Enoch’s life tells us that, day after day, he chose alignment with God. Not perfection. Not performance. Just faithfulness. That simple agreement is what the Bible pauses to remember.

Enoch’s legacy was not longevity, but intimacy.

Enoch: A Profound Ending

Every other name in Genesis 5 ends the same way: “and he died.” But Enoch’s life ends differently. God simply tells us that He took him.

When a life is walked with God, the ending is not loss—it is fulfillment. Hebrews tells us why:

“By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death… for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” (Hebrews 11:5)

That is the only testimony God chose to preserve. One life. One sentence. Enormous impact.

Practical Ways to Walk with God in 2026

1. Prioritize Daily Communion with God — Relationship, Not Routine

God has never desired religion; He longs for relationship. That relationship grows through consistent time with Him. In a world full of noise and distraction, daily communion with God anchors our identity and direction—whether we are young or old, married or single.

Psalm 1:1–3 – “Blessed is the one…whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water…”

Steps to do this:

• Set a specific time and place for Scripture and prayer
• Sign up for a year-long Bible reading plan on YouVersion and set reminders
• Start with smaller, sustainable rhythms (15–30 minutes daily)
• Memorize verses that shape how you think and live

2. Guard the Heart — Choose What You Feed Your Inner Life

What we dwell on shapes who we become. Guarding the heart means being intentional about what we allow in—through thoughts, media, relationships, and words. In an age of constant content and comparison, this matters more than ever.

Proverbs 4:23 – “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.”
Philippians 4:8 – “Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, excellent…think about such things”

Steps to do this:

• Review and reset what you watch, who you listen to, and what you subscribe to and follow.
• Prioritize God’s Word over passions or pleasures
• Ask daily: Is this what Christ desires for me right now?
• Daily check-in: Reevaluate your decisions and ask God to help you correct errors.

3. Walk With Others in Community and Service

The Christian life was never meant to be lived alone. Walking with God also means walking with God’s people. Our faith grows stronger when it is lived outward—in fellowship, encouragement, and service.

Hebrews 10:24–25 – “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works…”
1 John 3:18 – “Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

Steps to do this:

• Join a Bible study or life group.
• Serve in your church or community.
• Seek accountability and mentorship.
• Young people: Find an accountability partner and connect with someone who knows God’s Word well.

Life Application: Walking Into a New Year

As we step into a new year, I feel the Lord gently inviting us to put less pressure on counting years and more intention on counting steps—steps taken with Him.

Micah 6:8: He has told you, O man, what is good—
    and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Enoch’s story does not end with accomplishments; it ends with a walk that pleased God. And Scripture reminds us that there are promises reserved “to him who overcomes.” Not to the loudest or the most visible—but to those who remain aligned with Him.

As this year begins, may our prayer be simple and sincere:

Lord, teach me to walk with You—steadily, faithfully, and without fear. May my walk in this new year be one that You count.