Posted on: 06 Sep 2021
[Ms. Laxmi Thrylokya asked: Swami, in a certain question where a devotee was depressed in life, You replied, "If you get depression or fear or tension in your life at any time, that indicates your lack of faith in God Dattaatreya. If you are a devotee of Datta, you shall always be brave, happy and fully contented. A person having full faith in God always feels that he/she is the king/queen of this world (āpnoti svārājyam… Veda)". But generally, You always tell us to be aware of ego which can attack a devotee at any moment. It is safe to think of oneself as property of God and servant of God. This appears to contradict the reply You gave in the first scenario. Kindly correlate both of them.]
Swami Replied:- Confidence is different from ego. By the devotion to God, one can get full confidence. Confidence is useful in solving problems, but, ego will bring problems. Confidence is good health whereas ego is a bad disease. Confidence shall not fall below the normal level, which brings defeat in the effort. Excess of confidence becomes ego. If you feel excess of confidence because you are strong devotee of God, such excess of confidence is not harmful because it is only excess of devotion. Excess of confidence due to other factors of world becomes harmful ego.
Confidence is the right type of faith in God. The right faith means to think that you are the property of God due to your total surrender to Him. Other types of faith like that God will give anything whatever you want etc., is not correct types of faith. God will always do the best for any soul and such best may be liked by you or may not be liked by you. Ego is the wrong type of faith in yourself and such ego disconnects you from God.