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February 25, 2026<\/span><\/p>\n When You\u2019re Not As Brave as Yesterday<\/strong><\/span> Lee en espa\u00f1ol<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut Jesus replied, \u2018My Father is always working, and so am I.\u2019\u201d John 5:17 (NLT)<\/em><\/p>\n Ten years ago, I broke the lease on my apartment, sold all my belongings, and moved across the country to start a new job I wasn\u2019t qualified for in a place where I knew no one.<\/p>\n I was young, adventurous, fearless, and full of energy. The move happened so quickly I had nowhere to live when I arrived, but I wasn\u2019t worried. I knew if God was calling me here, He would take care of me. I had faith that brought me unexplainable peace.<\/p>\n As I look back at pictures from the past decade, I\u2019m reminded of times both happy and hard, sacred and scary, as I got all the adventures I wanted \u2026 and sufferings I never asked for.<\/p>\n In the mirror today, I see someone who is older, more cautious, fearful, and full of exhaustion. I see anxiety from real-life hardships and defeat from unfulfilled dreams. The harder life has gotten, the less brave I’ve become. Each trial and trouble has made me wonder more and more if God cares about me less and less.<\/p>\n What happened to that faith-filled, fearless version of me?<\/p>\n Lost in my reflection, I recently felt as if God reminded me: He is still the same God to 39-year-old Meghan as He was to 29-year-old Meghan. I might not recognize myself in the mirror, but He hasn\u2019t changed.<\/p>\n So how can you and I hit the \u201creset\u201d button and restore our fading faith?<\/p>\n 1. Tell ourselves the truth.<\/strong> Let\u2019s take inventory of our thoughts today. What are we telling ourselves about who God is and who we are? We can replace any lies with the truth that our good God has good plans for His children (Jeremiah 29:11). He loves to give us His power and presence to help us through each day (2 Timothy 1:7; Joshua 1:9).<\/p>\n 2. Trade our real-life anxieties for real-time peace<\/strong>. Peace may not come as naturally as it used to, but God\u2019s promises remain the same. Each day, we can choose to trade our anxieties for His peace (Philippians 4:6-7). Our trials and troubles are opportunities to rely on Him.<\/p>\n 3. Trace His works.<\/strong> Jesus assures us, \u201cMy Father is always working, and so am I\u201d<\/em> (John 5:17). What if we developed the habit of tracing His work in our lives \u2014 both past and present \u2014 to see where His love, care, protection, or presence have been evident? Where we feel most faithless, we can see where He was and is faithful! If God showed up for us 10 years ago, why would He not show up for us today?<\/p>\n I might not feel as brave as yesterday, but I am choosing to be expectant of God\u2019s faithfulness to me today. (And I\u2019ll try again tomorrow too.)<\/p>\n Heavenly Father, help me to remember\u00a0<\/em>Your goodness to me when I can barely recognize myself. Help me trade my real-life worries for Your real-time peace. May I be expectant of Your faithfulness, love, power, and presence in my life every day. In Jesus\u2019 Name, Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n There\u2019s a version of you that shows up for everyone else \u2014 the strong one, the capable one, the \u201cI\u2019m fine\u201d one. But there\u2019s also the version of you who feels behind, who questions everything at 2 a.m., who wonders if she\u2019s the only one still struggling to believe she\u2019s called. Our new reflection journal resource, Unpolished<\/em>, is designed for that<\/em> version of you \u2014 the one you don\u2019t post about. It helps you slow down long enough to pay attention to your real emotions, your real longings, and the small, sacred ways God has been trying to get your attention. Not when you\u2019re polished, confident, or curated but right here. You don\u2019t owe the world a perfected story before you can be called. God always begins with the version of you that actually exists. Get your copy of the Unpolished<\/em> journal, and take the first step toward all God has for you.<\/p>\n For more from Meghan, connect with her on Instagram @megswritesthings.<\/p>\n Isaiah 43:19, \u201cSee, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland\u201d (NIV).<\/p>\n God is always working, even if we can\u2019t see it. What new things is God doing in your life that you might have missed seeing? Share with us in the comments!<\/p>\n \u00a9 2026 by Meghan Mellinger. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n Proverbs 31 Ministries
MEGHAN MELLINGER<\/span><\/p>\nOUR FAVORITE THINGS<\/h4>\n
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FOR DEEPER STUDY<\/h4>\n
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Matthews, NC 28106
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