By Michele Eich
I absolutely love butterflies. They are beautiful reminders that miracles still happen. These magnificent creatures are not only stunning but they contain hidden secrets about our spiritual life with God. His amazing creation contains powerful lessons we can apply to our daily lives especially when it comes to transformation
Most of us want to change. The messages hit hard at the beginning of every new year. We make resolutions, join the gym, commit to eating right, and giving up bad habits. I bet if you asked 100 people if they wanted to make changes in their lives, 99 would say yes. (There is always that one who thinks she’s perfect.) God isn’t really into change. He is, however, all about transformation. Change is a little bunny becoming a full-grown rabbit. Transformation is a worm-like creature that was once earthbound becoming something that can actually fly in the air like a bird.
Let’s say that you are part of the 99% who recognizes the need for change. If you’re anything like me, your efforts last about a week, 10 days if you are super disciplined. We try to dress up the flesh by becoming better moms, wives, daughters, Christians, and so on. We become frustrated because said changes don’t stick long-term. Well, this is not how God wants us to operate. Jesus didn’t come to fix us; He came to start over.
The bad news is that we are not really fixable. The good news is that Jesus solved this problem for us. When we recognize this incredible truth, then we can save the time and energy we spend on attempting the impossible. We cannot be fixed, but we can be crucified! The beauty of Jesus’s death on the cross is that He didn’t just die for us; He died as us! We get all of the benefits of dying on the cross without having to go there ourselves. Oh, what love!
The flesh with its sinful desires will not improve in the way we need it to. That is why many people are so incredibly frustrated, because their best efforts, willpower, self-help attempts, and such gain them nothing. When we fail repeatedly, we either give up or fake it. I see a lot of people going round and round that mountain, and I used to be one of them. If I see that rocky crevice with the ram one more time…
There is actually another option, and that is surrender. God’s instrument for transformation is a chrysalis. When the caterpillar is ready, it will attach itself to a tree, make a “J,” and, drumroll please… let go. This creature then sheds its skin, and the chrysalis forms. This is an incubator for transformation (not change). The brilliant process to become brand spanking new has begun. The caterpillar must be destroyed so that the butterfly can emerge. This is what God does to us when we come to Him. He must start fresh.
I had a family member say that his chrysalis was joining the Navy. This helped me realize that God can use certain challenging situations to transform us. Maybe your chrysalis was getting divorced. Maybe it was a great loss or death of a loved one. Maybe it was a health scare. Maybe it was a season of reaping consequences of sin. Perhaps it was a result of living in an upside-down world full of uncertainty. Whatever God uses to bring transformation, embrace the journey of becoming brand new. It is difficult at first, messy in the middle, and glorious in the end!
One of my life verses is 2 Corinthians 5:17 which says this: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” This Scripture is a perfect example of metamorphosis which is defined as a change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural means.
Supernatural means? Like a miracle from God? Like Jesus dealing with our old self once and for all on the cross? Like having Him solve a problem we could never solve no matter how hard we try? It all sounds too good to be true, yet that is an accurate definition of the Gospel. This is the great exchange of our old life to new life that we can celebrate as one of the many benefits of our relationship with God through our faith in Jesus.
As I mentioned at the beginning, I love butterflies. That is because I am one. When I put my faith in Jesus, I became brand new. Regarding my old self, I don’t even recognize her anymore. Galatians 2:20 puts it perfectly: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” All of my self-efforts to improve or change were in vain. It led to massive frustration and seasons of pretending. Like every situation we face, God had the solution for me. Like that beautiful butterfly, all I needed to do was submit to the process that God planned just for me. It all began with letting go.
I wrote a book about the miracle of transformation called “Mari.” It is an allegory of my own journey. You can order an autographed copy at MariTheBook.com.
To learn more about Michele, visit MicheleEich.com or 20VoicesofRecovery.com.
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