3:136 – Metamorphosis: We Are All Changing

#faithbites #faithjourney metamorphosis

My youngest has been getting daily updates on the lifecycle of a caterpillar thanks to her teacher. Each day, they see them get bigger and bigger, shedding their exoskeletons, and forming a chrysalis. Then we see no change for 5-21 days. While we don’t see change, complete metamorphosis is happening. (And yes, I learned the days by listening to her school lessons along with studying the stages of a butterfly’s life). The kicker for me, which I knew but never saw in words, is if you put a caterpillar and a butterfly right next to each other, you wouldn’t even know they were they, same creature.

Are you under going a metamorphosis? What are you changing into? What stage are you in? Remember that different stages appear very differently to those on the outside and to you under going the change.

Scripture

• 2 Corinthians 3:18 – So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
• Galatians 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Reflection

As a follower of Christ, we enter into similar stages as a butterfly. While the butterfly has the egg, caterpillar, chrysalis/pupa, and butterfly stages, we have baptism, faith, and everlasting life. As a new child in Christ (this can be a literal child or an adult like me), you are learning and trying to figure out your way. You are saved already but not sure of what is going on. You know that change is coming. Just as a caterpillar knows how to shed their skeleton and eventually how to make a chrysalis. Those around us, can see us growing, changing, and evolving to a point. When we reach the chrysalis stage, they may not see a change, and we may not either. It may seem like we are stuck, not growing, not changing. But after that period of change, we are new creature in Christ, the old, like the caterpillar, has passed away.

Letting go is hard. Change is even harder. Many of us like who we are. To let go of that and become something new, is scary. Unlike many things on Earth, we are told to be strong and courageous. We don’t need to fear becoming more like Jesus. That is our destiny. Our souls know how to do it. We just need to get out of the way and let our faith take it’s course.

Challenge

Imagine your self going through the stages of your faith. Where are you right now? Are you the same as you were before? Are you in the chrysalis stage getting ready to be a beautiful new creature? It may be scary to let go of the past, but the future, is so much richer than anything we can imagine.

Prayer

Father God, we are ready for a metamorphosis. We want to change. Help us to become more like your Son. Alleviate our fears and worries. Remind us always that as we follow Christ, we are becoming stronger and more like you. Our souls know how to do this, we need to allow it to happen. Lord, we long to be with you and like you. In your name, Amen.