“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure” Jeremiah 17:9.
When our daughter was thirteen she began displaying behavior that was disturbing and unsettling for me and my husband. She ended up in a residential treatment center at fourteen which involved lots of family counseling. A few years prior she had desired for Bruce to adopt her to which her real father agreed. That was the last time she saw her real father for 3 years. Over the next few years her heart began to speak lies to her mind. Her heart convinced our little girl’s spirit that she was unloved…unworthy…insignificant…all alone. She couldn’t even see the blessings that surrounded her. She was led by her emotions and became spiritually and emotionally homeless. I remember during one counseling session the therapist had us place five chairs in a circle. She asked Kristen to place her chair where she felt it belonged. She removed the chair from the circle and placed it up against the wall all alone. She convinced herself that she was different due to her circumstances…that she no longer belonged to a certain group of people…spiritually and emotionally homeless. The circumstances that God allowed in her life would end up producing amazing fruit but her heart had to catch up with God’s plans which didn’t happen for 8 long years.
But one day the clouds rolled back and she saw herself as God saw her – the daughter of a perfect Parent. She quit listening to her heart and allowed God complete access to her life. She surrendered all hurt and saw her life through the blessings of God…people who loved her…people who chose her… a life full of purpose and pleasure. She removed those spiritually homeless clothes that were tattered with the same old emotions, stained with rights of entitlement and re-clothed herself with truth. ‘Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy’ Eph 4:24. Once Kristen saw herself through God’s eyes instead of the lies of her heart she began to produce the most beautiful fruit. God has used her in amazing ways to bring others out of their spiritual homelessness. He promises this for all of His children but not until we remove our barriers. We must stand up, remove all rights and put on His will, His way and His purposes.
‘So if someone cleanses himself of such behavior, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart, useful for the Master, prepared for every good work’ 2 Ti 2:21.
All of these promises hinge on if. Aren’t you ready for a wardrobe change?
Read more articles by Brenda Emmons or search for articles on the same topic or others.
