We walk through life as an orphan when we have been reconciled to the Father and have been adopted into a family. We are created for belonging.

The problem with having an orphan mindset is that we inadvertently repel the very thing we need. We try to protect ourselves from being hurt by building walls to avoid being further wounded. The problem is that the walls also keep the joy and goodness from coming into us.

As we journey through life we frame our beliefs by our experiences instead of our identity in Christ. We continue to operate FOR a place in the kingdom instead of FROM a place of righteous authority as His child. Because of our misplaced identity we adopt the wrong mindsets to cope with what we experience.

One of the primary mindsets that is connected to an orphan heart is poverty, or scarcity. We live from a place of “not enough”. We can make this our identity, I am not enough.

When we live with an orphan heart we live in envy and jealousy of others because of a lack mentality we believe there is only so much to go around. If someone else has something then there isn’t enough for me.

Another side effect of an orphan heart that I have dealt with is perfectionism.

You might be a perfectionist if…

You are critical of yourself and others (and I used to think that I was only critical of myself, but they go hand in hand. You can’t love others well if you are hyper critical of yourself.)

You are a people pleaser. You need others' approval to make decisions.

You rarely ask for help and have difficulty delegating. You are a procrastinator.

Do you have unrealistically high expectations, Another sign of perfectionism is low self-esteem.

The solution and salve to our orphan heart is full acceptance and love of the Father. His grace not only leads us to salvation, but it is the power to sustain us in it and help us grow in the love of God. He is always our answer. Our perspective of Him changes everything. If you find that any of these mindsets or tendencies ring true then you are in a great place to overcome them. You can repent (remember, repentance is just changing your mind, turning back to God and what He thinks) and ask God to forgive you for thinking more highly of yourself than you do of Him and His love, care and power to work on your behalf. You can ask Holy Spirit to show you the ways you have lived as an orphan even though you are a beloved daughter. When Holy Spirit shows you how you have been living small and feeling less than what He created you to be you get to turn around and run back to His loving embrace.

Bible Verses: Psalm 37:3-5, 68:6, Luke 9:24 , Romans 8:1, Romans 8:28-29

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