Confidence is a strange phenomenon and the lack of it causes much sorrow. The onslaught of mind illness can seriously undermine our confidence and make us very anxious and uncomfortable. We can lose confidence in life very easily and the sufferer has to build it and overcome the anxiety as they pull themselves out of depressive illness. We can lose the confidence to look after ourselves and not look out for our own mental wellbeing. Our confidence circles can get very small and it is important to try every day to do more new things. It does not need to be very big but just stretching our comfort zone to include more and more activities.

Maybe we haven’t practiced a skill for a long time and need the courage to start again and practice our confidence. It can do us a great deal good if we learn new skills and begin to see ourselves as worthwhile. Life can militate against us and pull us down, but we continue with our daily routines and continue building. It is easy to lose faith and take our eyes off the Lord and put them on our troubles, but we can trust Him in every situation no matter how impossible it seems to us.

Confidence to live is a precious commodity. It is easy to lose the confidence to sleep and eat and look after ourselves properly. Life can become almost impossible because we cannot do without these things. The pressures of life can so undermine us that we cannot function. It is very difficult when others depend on you but you cannot cope at that time. People may not understand your pain as you look alright on the outside, but inside you can feel very unsure and lack positivity, especially if you are fighting depression. Depression is fed by blame and we can blame ourselves for all the ills of the world! Maybe relationships are failing and you don’t know how to make it better. We can take all the blame to ourselves, which is very unfair. Others may also blame you and this is very hard to bear and sort out. We leave our problems to the Lord and always seek to do and say the right thing.

It takes time, healing and patience to build yourself up again from the ground. It takes real courage to face the day and live life and fulfil your responsibilities. Without God, this is impossible. Only He can deal with our doubts and fears and give us the victory in Jesus. Only the shield of faith can ward off the evil intentions of the enemy of our souls. God can take our broken heart and mend it in His overcoming strength as He teaches us day by day how to live and have the courage to step out.

We can feel very fearful at times when all seems like a prison that we can’t break out of. We must trust in the Lord in those times and be grateful for all that we can do. Depression is a very difficult illness but there is a way out. God sometimes wills us to go through deep waters and we bear it patiently and with fortitude. Others can leave and you can struggle alone, but we are never alone if we are trusting in God and His love for us.

If you are lacking confidence today, just spend some time pondering what you can do and try to accomplish a new small task for the day. Encourage yourself instead of blaming yourself. We step out in God’s strength and we will succeed. some days are better than others, but ultimately the child of God will be victorious. Do not be disheartened by others who don’t understand, but entrust yourself to the living God and He will sustain you. Don’t be disheartened by failure as you perceive it, but continue to build your confidence day by day and you can try the difficult thing another day, further down the road of your mind.

We are not promised success at everything and we do make mistakes, but God is over all and He will give insight and courage to keep trying. It is the same for everyone. No one is exempt from feeling down at times and even dissatisfied, but there is always a way out. The book of Psalms is so wonderful for us as we see there someone who also suffers mind illness. We gain strength from reading and meditating on the way of the Lord. Take heart dear friend, the Lord is over all…