From Worms to Butterflies

Nature has always amazed me. I watch with interest all the things around me and thoroughly enjoy being outdoors. Several years back when my boys were much younger, they collected some caterpillars from the churchyard and were just dying to bring them home. I consented.

When we arrived home, as all boys do, our guys found a jar and put the caterpillars inside with a stick and some leaves. Our house rule for bug prisoners is that they must be turned loose the next morning. Much to my surprise the caterpillars had turned into cocoons by morning. Once again I consented to the begging and we kept a watchful eye on the cocoons for several days.

Coming home from work one evening my very excited boys ran to the car to inform me that the cocoons had turned into butterflies. Actually they were moths, but the technicality seemed to go over their heads. It was indeed quite amazing to see the transformation from worm to butterfly, or rather, moth. Science calls this process of change metamorphosis.

In Romans 12:2 Paul said, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” The word transformed in the original language is “metamorphoo.” Look familiar? Yes, Paul is telling Christians to change their lives.

Just like moths and butterflies, this change is a process. It is accomplished by the “renewing” or renovation of our minds. Everyone understands what it means to renovate a home. You take a run-down place and fix it up. You make it into livable space again.

Paul warns us not to conform ourselves to the world. When we conform ourselves to the world we become like the world. Many have conformed themselves to the world through inappropriate attire such as beachwear or clothing designed to draw attention to the sensual part of our bodies. As the world’s standards have gone down so have the standards of Christians. It was not uncommon just 30 years ago to hear preachers teach against mixed swimming. Who has heard a sermon on that recently? Who takes it seriously any more?

Others conform by becoming covetous in the pursuit of this world’s goods. The quantity of their “things” increases year after year and they lay up treasures for this life. Their happiness begins to come from abundance of things and the quest for more grows greater.

Many conform by adopting the errant attitude that it really doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are a sincere person. Careful attention to the word of God has given way to a “spoon fed” religion where whatever the preacher says must be right. Look around at church. How many open Bibles do you see? Better yet, how often does your preacher reference passages of scripture or open his Bible as he teaches? Does he avoid passages?

Paul warns us to not conform but to be transformed. How is that accomplished? Does God change our lives in a miraculous way?

The process comes through studying God’s word and putting into practice what we find in it. Change comes through examining the life of our Lord Jesus and trying to be what we see in Him. Isn’t that what Paul said in verse 2? “...proving what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” A person cannot know how God’s word can change their lives until they spend time with it.

Paul talks about the process in another passage. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” The context of this passage is the revealing of the New Testament scriptures. Using the word of God (given by the Spirit) as a mirror, we can see the Lord. We also see ourselves and recognize how we differ from the Lord. As we transform those areas of our life that are out of line, we begin to look more and more like Him. We can be like Him!

Paul told the Colossians, “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) Paul isn’t talking about Christ literally being in our body. He is talking about the change that occurs when we let Jesus transform our lives from worms to butterflies. Are you allowing that transformation to take place in your life?