There is a deep need to recognise our weaknesses and difficulties, but not to give ourselves an easy time.

Our thought patterns need to be changed, to teach us to fight the negativity, false guilt and blame, and to build good mental scaffolds around our mind.

There will be fears, doubts and anxieties, but these have to be faced, not avoided. This starts with small things and issues, and we must seek to teach our minds to go through the fear, rather than avoid it. As we face the pain, it will go, and we will get victory over that anxiety, which then strengthens us for the sake of ourselves and others.

If we fall down, start again, learn again, put lessons into practice, and gain strength and confidence for the future. Every time we go through the learning process, our spiritual muscles get stronger.

The mindset of the Christian is faith and we live as people who belong to God. His many promises are there to help support and remind us about what He does for his children. Our part is to know them, remember them, believe them and acts upon them. God cannot fail. Our stumbling faith fails repeatedly, but as we learn and act, we are strengthened to rest on Him and trust Him more as time goes by.

What is happening in our lives is for our good, because We are so loved by God. Through suffering we come to know Him better and more fully, and faith grows. He will not let anything happen that we cannot bear, and he will provide all we need to break through.

”I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

The weakness we feel and the debilitating negativity, will pass. This is an illness for some, and a spiritual fight for all believers, and it will go away. We do not have to continually linger in the dark valley. However, if we learn skills and thought processes, it will help us to fight the feelings, and hurtful thoughts, and we will be stronger.

We can train our minds to think rightly about our situation. God gives the strength to help us fight through, but we also learn the skills to use the sword of the Word in the power of the Spirit that dwells within. We live our lives learning and proving the power of God and coping with all that comes our way.

Focus:

Not everything I think is true. Every thought is measured against the Word of God, not by my own education or ideas.

Prayer changes everything – he promises to answer prayer, and my part is to believe Him.