Becoming a butterfly . . .

The dictionary says that metamorphosis, usually concerning insects or amphibians, is the process of transformation from an immature form to an adult form in two or more distinct stages. In people, it means “a change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural means.”

I like that last definition because it agrees with the way the Bible uses the Greek version of this word. Here is translated “transformed” and is about being changed from the inside out . . .

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1–2, emphasis mine)

The first eleven chapters of Romans describe salvation: why we need it and how God makes it happen. The next section describes how salvation transforms our lives. Those who have been given the life of Christ will do these things, beginning with presenting or offering their entire self to God, worshiping Him as living sacrifices.

A young missionary once said that “the only problem with living sacrifices is that they keep crawling off the altar.” At the time, that seemed funny but true. Now I realize that it isn’t the living sacrifice that does this because it never has the desire to move away from Jesus. Rather, it is the old sinful nature pulling me away from being totally dedicated to the Lord.

The rest of this passage is a big clue to why that happens — my mind needs to be renewed. Like the caterpillar that goes into a little case and is changed to a butterfly, my way of thinking needs renovating. However, I cannot do that; it is a supernatural task that only God can do.

I’m going through written copies of my thoughts about God from years past. Some of them are solidly biblical and giving me a smack because I saw truth then but it didn’t change me at the core of how I think. Perhaps I didn’t obey or I didn’t spend enough time in silence and meditation. I allowed distractions to take me off somewhere else.

Whatever the reasons, eventually many of those lessons did change my life, but only after experiences and trials that pressed me again and again back to that altar. I kept crawling off because my heart resisted God’s ideas in favor of my own.

Yet these two verses have always held a special place. I know that change is about yielding to God and resisting sin. I know that transformation is about thinking His thoughts and recognizing the dangers and depravity of my selfish ideas. It is also about focus. The butterfly is formed when the caterpillar is motionless. It does not try to fly before God forms its wings. Then it struggles to get out and, in that trial, it is strengthened. I tend to resist the trials, rush to the next things, and not take the time to focus on what God wants to do with me.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, this process of sacrifice and transformation is the way to discern Your will. I try to find it the hard way (by foolishly trying my own way until I run out of ideas). Far better to let to take time to let You do Your renovating work in my mind. Only then can I be certain that doing things Your way is good, acceptable and perfect!

Today’s thankful list . . .

God gives me time to learn the lessons of change.

He also gives me the mind of Christ so I can think His thoughts.

Opportunity to help a young family move that has never moved before.

The wildlife reserve right beside our home with its walking trails.

After weeks of pain, my feet are not sore!

Progress on another quilt.

Costco’s seed and nut brittle.