"Do You Have An Orphan Heart?"
Can you be an orphan but have never been given away by your birth parents? In the legal and physical sense, no you can’t. But is it possible that you can live your life as though you are an orphan? Absolutely! I (Jerry) know, because I was never given up by my birth parents but, unknowingly, I lived with what we and others have termed an “orphan heart” or “orphan spirit” for many years. Thankfully I no longer live from this place, but there was a need for the Father to move me from an "orphan" to the position of his "son."
We recently were reading chapter eight in the Book of Romans in The Passion Translation and verses 14 through 17 really spoke to our hearts. Here is what it says about being his child:
Sons and Daughters Destined for Glory
The mature children of God are those who are moved by the impulses of the Holy Spirit. And you did not receive the “spirit of religious duty,” leading you back into the fear of never being good enough. But you have received the “Spirit of full acceptance,” enfolding you into the family of God. And you will never feel orphaned, for as he rises up within us, our spirits join him in saying the words of tender affection, “Beloved Father!” For the Holy Spirit makes God’s fatherhood real to us as he whispers into our innermost being, “You are God’s beloved child!”
And since we are his true children, we qualify to share all his treasures, for indeed, we are heirs of God himself. And since we are joined to Christ, we also inherit all that he is and all that he has. We will experience being co-glorified with him provided that we accept his sufferings as our own.
We write about this issue in our book, Loving God, Loving Myself. If you would like to read more to see if you are living as an "adopted son or daughter" or as an "orphan," CLICK HERE.
Blessings,
Jerry and Denise
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"BOOKS AND MEDIA: "Loving God, Loving Myself" and our Expanded Edition of "The Missing Commandment: Love Yourself," are available at jerryanddenisebasel.com and Amazon.com.
COUNSELING MINISTRY: If you or anyone you know is in need of finding a safe place for emotional and/or spiritual healing and restoration, please contact us at The Father's Heart Intensive Christian Counseling Ministry. Check out our web site at fathersheart.com or email us directly at fathersheartmin@gmail.com. We are located in the North Georgia Mountains in a retreat-like setting and counsel individuals or couples for periods of two to five-days in length.
