Archives

Hindsight 20/20 – #3

Jul29

For this post today, we’ll look at some traits that are common with the orphan heart.

I copied some traits here from the link that I placed near the end.

For those who think they could be suffering from an orphaned heart, it is a good place to begin.

1. The orphan spirit operates out of insecurity and jealousy. The spirit of sonship functions out of love and acceptance.

2. The orphan spirit is jealous of the success of his brothers. The mature son is committed to the success of his brothers.

3. The orphan spirit serves God to earn the Father’s love. The mature son serves God out of a sense of divine acceptance and favor.

4. The orphan spirit tries to medicate his deep internal alienation through physical stimulation. The mature son walks in the joy and presence of the Lord for comfort.

5. The orphan spirit is driven by the need for success. The Spirit leads the mature son into his calling and mission.

6. The orphan spirit uses people as objects to fulfill their goals. Mature sons serve people to bless the kingdom.

7. The orphan spirit repels their children. The spirit of sonship attracts their children.

8. The orphan spirit has issues with anger and fits of rage. The spirit of sonship rests in the Father’s ability to control and guide their future.

9. The orphan spirit is always in competition with others. The spirit of sonship is always blessing others

10. The orphan spirit has a lack of self-esteem. The spirit of sonship walks in the love and acceptance of Father God.

11. The orphan spirit receives their primary identity through material possessions, their physical appearance, and activities. The spirit of sonship has their identity grounded in their sonship and their Father’s affirmation.

⇾The complete article well defines the traits of the two opposite hearts.⇽

Join me next time for post #4 in this series.

Some steps to help heal the orphan heart.

Until then …

All That Wander Are Not Lost

Jul27
Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash

All that wander are not lost.

So I’ve heard it said.

It seems I’ve been wandering since the beginning of this COVID business.

Some of that wandering has lead me to places I am greatly familiar with.

Other wanderings have lead to places dark, and unknown.

In my wanderings I have seen and re-seen things I have noted before; in those same wanderings I have noticed things that I had either forgotten entirely, or had not known at all.

Some of my wanderings took me to places I never wanted to go; others to places light and airy, and free.

From some of those wanderings, I came away with a fog so thick that I had to sit and rest until it cleared.

Still at other times, they brought light to dark corners that I was unaware of, thereby shedding new light on my path.

Regardless of where your wanderings take you, I encourage you to be open, and ready to learn whatever is in front of you to learn.

Mostly, I encourage you to “Be not afraid”.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid. John 14:27.

I leave you with two questions to ask yourself during your current wanderings;

I usually use them during scripture reading, they are from a long time mentor – Graham Cooke.

“What does this mean?”

And

“What shall I do?”

Asking these questions has been helpful in my understanding of most, if not all, of my wanderings.

Until next time …

Hindsight 20/20 – #2

Jul22
Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash

What a mess we find ourselves in today.

I’m not talking about just about COVID and shutdowns and all.

I am more referring to the condition of our hearts.

I’m thinking that the orphan heart could be just what the main problem is in the world today.

Is it possible it could be the cause of all of it?

We FEEL orphaned, so we act like it?

I’m sure it is much deeper than that, but don’t really know how to start.

My thinking is that how we act is a reflection of what is inside our hearts.

You’ve heard me say before that the way we see, feel and present ourselves to the world – Is an “Inside job”.

People ask, can adults be orphans?

The linguistic definition of “orphan” applies to a child. So technically, a person over 18 can’t be an orphan. But in real life, we apply the term to anyone whose parents are dead. …

Usually adults are not referred to as orphans unless the parents died when they were young children.

Orphan Law and Legal Definition; An orphan generally is a person without living parents to care for them. …

Scripture clearly states that if we are followers of Christ, then we are Sons (and daughters) of God.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. The Holy Bible says this in Romans 8:14, and in 1 Peter 5:6-8 says that we can “cast all your anxieties (cares) on him, because He cares for us.” 

The child of an unwed mother or surviving parent may be considered an orphan if that parent is unable to care for the child properly and has, in writing, irrevocably released the child for emigration and adoption.

So, according to Casey Treat post #1, our main struggle with inferiority, and insecurity, comes from a lack of biblical parenting.

When we lack these things, we become defensive, and may take it out on those around us.

This helps our “helplessness” to subside, if even only for a moment.

In all the research I’ve done, I’ve found the previous to be a common denominator in most of what I have read, and in what I have experienced personally.

The difference seems to me to be the difference between knowing that I do not belong to the world; I belong instead to God.

On a daily basis, the world serves me a heaping helping of anger, bitterness, resentment, fear, sorrow, and other things that my spirit is not prepared to deal with,  bitterness, wrath, anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, and malice.

Unless I know that God has my back, and I do my best to follow Him.

Then He serves up love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness gentleness and self control.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:18 – 23

Join me here next Wednesday as we continue to explore this topic.

Until then …