Healing the Orphaned Heart Part 1
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. John 14:18
Personally, I believe that human emotional problems and even social problems can be traced to our alienation from God and our biological fathers. The orphan heart caused by fatherlessness may be the greatest spiritual issue and the major barrier to freedom.
We don't have to be acutal orphans to have an orphan heart. The absence of fathers, as well as feeling unloved and rejected by their earthly fathers, will lead to the orphan heart. Sadly, someone who has an orphan heart will have difficulty receiving love from God, our heavenly father, since our earthly father mirrors our heavenly father.
As a child learns and forms their understanding of the world around them, if they don't feel loved or receive affection, they start close to their heart, like an orphan who is forced to protect themselves and figure things out for themselves, and lonely at the same time.
Orphan hearts have identity issues and tend to have low self-esteem since they don't feel accepted by their parents, and are performance driven and need approval in order to feel worthy. A void and a love deficit will also prompt them to turn to "counterfeit satisfaction" such as worldly success, unhealthy relationships, substance abuse, etc. In fact, "counterfeit satisfaction" can destroy our souls, leaving us even more empty and broken.
Orphan hearts are closed hearts, closed to people and God. Consequently, there is an intimacy issue as fear creeps into our lives. We may develop the fear of rejection and abandonment, so we hesitate to trust and love people. Worst of all, orphan hearts will have a hard time to receive God's love, and will try to work hard to "impress" God.
Are there any ways out of an orphan heart? The answer is yes, and the good news is that God longs to heal, fill our voids and shower us with His fatherly love and affirmation. Part 2 will share my personal testimonies of how God's fatherly love healed my orphan heart.
Blessing prayer: Our hearts are open to you, and we receive your love, acceptance, and affirmation as our heavenly father. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
