Butterflies

I noticed the verse on my sidebar today & it reminded me of a "For the Kids" lesson I shared at church one night. How fun(!) it was to share w/ them what God was teaching me - in hopes that it would give them a big headstart!

Meeting Madame Butterfly
http://users.skynet.be/J.Beever/

Butterflies & Worship

Romans 12:1 & 2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The Greek word for “transformed” is Metamorphoō - to change into another form, to transform, to transfigure. From it we get metamorphosis & we tend to think of caterpillars & butterflies!

W/ the understanding that God has revealed Himself to us both in His Word & creation, I’ve learned to try to figure out what God might have been wanting us to better understand when he created certain things – & I really believe we can better understand God – what He’s like & what He wants us to be like – by studying butterflies (or anything/everything else He made)

You may have heard the story about a man who found a chrysalis. One day a small opening appeared. He watched the butterfly for hours as it struggled to force its body thru' it until it seemed it could go no further. Finally the man decided to help – so - he cut the chrysalis to allow the butterfly to emerge easily, which it did. The man continued to watch. He expected the wings to enlarge & expand to support the body, which would contract in time, but neither happened - & in fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body & shriveled wings - & never was able to fly. The man didn’t understand that the restricting chrysalis & the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the butterfly's body into its wings so it would be ready & able to fly (freedom!) when the time was right.

The transformation caterpillars undergo while in the chrysalis is amazing. When they come out they’re so very different from how they used to be.

Christians kinda metamorph too. When we confess & repent of our sin & accept Jesus as our Savior, we’re instantly changed from eternally dying to eternally living & that’s no doubt an amazing transformation! And from that point on, we should then become more like Christ - which can be a long - & at times, difficult(!) process.

When the man tried to help by cutting the chrysallis, he did free the butterfly - technically - but it was crippled for the rest of its likely shortened life - & most, if not all, the butterfly’s time from then on was likely spent focused on itself - out of necessity - as it struggled just to survive - b/c God’s way had not been followed. According to God’s perfect plan, the butterfly had to go through that struggle - to the end - in order to become & do all that God intended - & to beautifully display His splendor as it enjoyed true freedom, the way God intended.

Taking it a step further - Flowers need to be pollinated & God created butterflies in a special way to meet this need of certain flowers. He also gave those flowers jobs too – one is to feed those butterflies. I think this a beautiful illustration of what it means in Romans 12:1 to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy & pleasing to God – b/c I think it means we should use our bodies to care for other in Jesus’ name & use those times to share what He’s done for us & wants to do for them. We can do this in many different ways... by praying w/ or for someone, sharing the Gospel, giving money or food to the needy, helping someone help themselves, or doing work for one who is unable to do it. These all involve using our bodies & some sort of sacrifice - but - did you ever consider them to be worship?

It’s true - worship often involves sacrifice – but often it involves sacrificing abilities & things God has generously blessed us w/ to begin w/ for that very reason. When, in obedience, we use anything He’s given us - our talents, abilities, energy, money, time, etc., to serve others in His name & w/ a grateful heart, that’s worship! And often we’re blessed in return in ways that are so satisfying - much like when the butterfly, in time, becomes what it was meant to be & does what God created it to do for the flowers, & in turn the flowers feed the butterfly. They enjoy a special relationship & both elegantly display God’s splendor b/c this is their way of life .

And - just as the butterfly must struggle first - to be & do all that God intended - sometimes God allows us to endure certain things (struggle!) to help us become more like Him & so to prepare us to be & do what he has planned for us. Sometimes people want to put really difficult times (struggles) behind them & try to forget whatever happened, but - when they use what God taught them thru’ it all, they’re able to help certain people that many others might have no idea how to help. By doing that in Jesus’ name &/or for His sake, that’s worship! & with practice, it should become as it was intended to be... - a way of life