Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis

Bible Blast: Read 2 Corinthians 5:13-17

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

2 Corinthians 5:17

Butterflies are an extraordinary type of insect. They begin life as rather unattractive, slimy, worm-like creatures often covered in thorns. Their first act of life is to eat their own eggshell. Then they begin to disruptively eat anything in their path—sometimes creating problems for the greenery around them.

But two to four weeks into their food fest, these unbelievable creatures latch onto a leaf and begin a process that at first appears to be a shedding of the skin. They are really building a little house—or pupa—to live in for a while as they go through a process called metamorphosis. Inside the pupal case, the caterpillar is transformed into an adult. But this adult looks nothing like the selfish creature that went into the pupa. Out comes an often vivid-colored, winged creature of tremendous beauty. It’s changed from the inside out.

I grew up catching the caterpillars of monarch butterflies and watching them transform. What a wonder! If you’ve never seen it, consider checking out our Wacky Appendix for a way to order some caterpillars and a kit so that you can watch them transform!

When we belong to Christ, we really do become entirely new people from the inside out. Sure, some aspects of our outside appearance may change when we give our lives to Christ, but that’s because our brand-new heart wants to please God above all else. When someone truly loves Jesus, she is changed. She becomes different from the world around her. She has experienced a spiritual metamorphosis.