I recently heard a story about squatters staying at a bed and breakfast. After staying there for 30 days they refused to leave. It was soon discovered that under certain state laws the squatter now had renters’ protection due to being on the property for longer than 30 days. Though they did not own the property and refused to pay to stay, they were considered a tenant after the 30 days and the owners of the property would have to take legal action to get a formal eviction (which takes months and in the meantime the owners are stuck with a squatter). Basically, a squatter is a houseguest who won't leave; a tenant who continues to stay past the expiration date of a lease.
In many of our lives we have emotional squatters that are taking up room in our heads, lives and hearts.
What are emotional
squatters?
*Energy drainers
*Those who leave us in emotional fatigue
*Those who take up unnecessary and precious room in our
minds
*People from our past that we need to let go
of
*Part time people in your life (also known as “fair-weather
friends”)
*Those around you (or in your circle and/or family) that are drawn
to drama
*Gossipers
*Those who will take advantage of you and your kindness and
openness
*Dysfunctional people
Are there people in your life (and mind) that you need to walk away from? And yes, even as a Christian there are people you will need to walk away from, lovingly. There are people that you can love from a distance, but do not need to allow them in your life and mind. You can forgive those who have become emotional squatters and yet not have them in your life. Just because we are believers does not mean we should be doormats.
Are there people in your life (and mind) that you need to walk away from? And yes, even as a Christian there are people you will need to walk away from, lovingly. There are people that you can love from a distance, but do not need to allow them in your life and mind. You can forgive those who have become emotional squatters and yet not have them in your life. Just because we are believers does not mean we should be doormats.
“As for a person who stirs up division, after warning
him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him.”-Titus
3:10
“Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels
and insults are ended.”-Proverbs 22:10
“The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
so quit before the quarrel breaks out.”-Proverbs
17:14
The
Eviction Process:
*Forgiveness-
It is always the first step in any situation.
It lays a smooth and fertile ground for
healing.
"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE
YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' "But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you.”-Matthew
5:44
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor
and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”-Ephesians
4:31-32
*Allow yourself time to
heal-
Just like an actual eviction process, we must allow time to fully
resolve the situation. The same is said for healing.
Don’t expect healing overnight.
“A time to kill and a time to heal, a
time to tear down and a time to build, time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,”-Ecclesiastes
3:3-4
*You cannot do it on your
own-
In a real eviction process, you must attain a higher source (like
a lawyer) that can enforce the law and actually get the squatter evicted.
You cannot on your own evict someone from your home.
In the same way, a personal eviction process must be given
to God, because if you attempt to do things under your own control and how you
want them done, you will most likely end up doing more harm to yourself and
others instead of good. The last thing you want is to add more
pain to the pile and an extension of emotional squatting.
“So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to
Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD
Almighty.”-Zechariah 4:6
Let go-
Many of us have emotional squatters taking up space
in our minds and hearts that are no longer even in our lives (perhaps ex’s, ex
friends or family). Often times these are people who don’t even
think about us and yet we are allowing them to take up precious space in our
minds and hearts.
“Remember not the former things, nor
consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs
forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in
the desert.”-Isaiah 43:18-19
Remember, it is possible to evict an emotional squatter; with God
anything is possible.
Dear Father, Jesus, Yeshua, Abba,
I pray for every person reading this right now. I
pray that you will no longer allow any emotional squatters stay in the minds,
lives and hearts of those who love you. Father I pray also that
you would expose those emotional squatters to your children so they can be free
of them. I ask for your power, love and glory to be shone in all
of our lives and situations. I pray peace, protection and a
binding and healing of all our wounds so that we may serve you continuously
whole heartedly. Daddy, I pray for water in the all the dry places
in our lives. We know that no weapon formed against us can
prosper, in the name of Jesus! Thank you Father!
Praise your name on the mountain tops! We continue to thank
and give you praise for all you have done, are doing and will do in each of our
lives. I pray all of this in Jesus most holy and precious name,
Amen.
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