Caterpillar to Butterfly - Being Transformed in Christ

Caterpillar to Butterfly – Being Transformed in Christ

In my life, I am very blessed to have ladies who have fostered a deep love for learning and growing in Christ in my life. One of these ladies has continuously pushed myself and many other young ladies to dig into deeper bible studies and the meat of the Word. She always tells us that Ladies Days and Bible Studies shouldn’t just be flowers or butterflies. However, butterflies are exactly what I want to focus on today. Specifically, how does one become a butterfly?

In 2nd grade, my teacher taught us about the life cycle of a butterfly. We had live monarch caterpillars that we kept in our classroom and fed milkweed every day. Soon, they climbed to the top of their enclosure and formed chrysalises. Eventually, each caterpillar broke free from their chrysalis and had transformed into beautiful butterflies. The change wasn’t instantaneous or without work from the caterpillar, but it changed the abilities it had, the way it lived, and the way others saw it.

I truly believe that those butterflies are a direct correlation to our walk with God and how we need to transform our lives. In Romans 12:1-2, Paul writes “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 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.” Just like the caterpillar, we must choose to be transformed. We are to present ourselves to God as a holy, acceptable, living sacrifice. This doesn’t mean just going through the motions of going to church or even saying that you want to be baptized without really meaning it. It means to give up yourself and your desires to God. You are no longer choosing to do what you wish or will, but to be subject to His commands and to have a servant’s heart. To present your whole mind, body, and soul to our Lord so that you may be added to His kingdom and do His will. According to Paul, this is our “reasonable service”. It is completely reasonable to completely give our lives to Him because He has already given His for us. We see this explained in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Jesus has already come to this earth, gone through a life of ridicule and hardships, died for us, and now works as a mediator between us and God. It is our reasonable service to love God just as He has loved us and commit ourselves to Him.

The second part of that passage digs into being transformed. However, before it mentions being transformed, it says not to be conformed. We are not to be like all of the people in the world. We aren’t to conform or succumb to peer pressure to fit in. We are to be set apart, like a light on a hill (Matt. 5:14). As young women, this can be especially hard for us. We try so hard to be accepted and liked in our community. If we aren’t popular or accepted, it is seen as a failure and we are made fun of. But we aren’t called to conform and be like those around us. We are called to be transformed. The term transformed means that one “makes a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character of” oneself. While Paul is not asking us to have a dramatic makeover or change our wardrobe, he is asking us to change our hearts and minds. We are to “renew” our minds. This isn’t a small change. This is a fundamental change to who we are. We are casting aside our sinful habits and ideas and choosing to walk continuously with Christ and follow His rules and statutes. A transformation makes you almost unrecognizable to those who knew you previously. You have taken a complete 180 and are now no longer the same person. As Christians, this means to choose to love others, edify your brethren, teach the good news to the lost, and be a guiding light to your community. There is no blending in, only standing out as the wonderful person God has called you to be.

Being transformed means to shed your past life. Shed your sins and the things you previously indulged in. It means taking time to change yourself and emerge better than you were before. Like our caterpillar, you were living, but hadn’t chosen to be transformed yet. Once you make that choice and enter your chrysalis, you have to commit and continue until your mind is renewed. You are then able to emerge as a beautiful butterfly. You are able to fly where you could only walk before. Others will stop and look at you in wonder because they don’t understand why you are the way you are. They will look at you in awe as you flutter by, doing the work of the kingdom. You will be a shining example of what Christ can do for others. You will be transformed.