Caterpillars to Butterflies

“Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2) The Greek word rendered here as “transform” is transliterated as “metamorphose.” We are familiar with the sluggish, and perhaps ugly, caterpillar changing into a beautiful butterfly. That is metamorphosis, and that’s what God wants to do for us spiritually.

♦ Being transformed is mostly a hidden process. Although it isn’t visible to us, metamorphosis turns the brains and bodies of caterpillars to “soup” which is totally reorganized in order to become the creature capable of flight. When the Apostle Paul urges us to let God transform us, he is inviting us to a process that means deep inner change. Many people around us will not even be aware of what is transpiring in secret. Even we ourselves may not understand what we are becoming; we only know that we are preparing to be different than we once were!

♦ Being transformed is often a difficult process. Many of us don’t really like change all that much. Changing jobs or moving the household is hard work, but changing the way we think may be even harder. It is not as simple as just altering an opinion, deciding to do something differently, or changing our mind about some issue. Unlike the caterpillar, we cannot just wait for the change to happen and then emerge as a new creature. Changing the way we think is a major process executed in us and by us and through us. We will read carefully, pray earnestly, perhaps seek counsel, wait patiently—and certainly think hard!

♦ Being transformed is a continual process. The word “process” itself implies that transformation is ongoing; we build on what we have learned. Amazingly, this is true in nature as well. Back to the butterflies—a study done earlier this year at Georgetown University finds that moths can remember the avoidance tactics they learned when they were caterpillars. Becoming a new person doesn’t mean trashing everything up to this point. In transformation, we don’t kill that earlier, less-experienced self; we simply outgrow him/her.

Perhaps this is what the Paul meant when he said, “Let God transform you.” He was writing to a group who were, in his words, “called to be saints.” He was not speaking of salvation, but of growth as Christian believers. In order for us to be spiritually mature, we have to yield ourselves to God’s Spirit who moves us toward holiness and wholeness. We do need to forget those things behind us which prevent us from pressing onward to what is ahead, but a healthy memory of who we once were actually helps us stay on the task of thinking in a new way.

MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

Email: mrymrtha@gmail.com