Convoluted Path for the Finished Product

Who among us wouldn’t like to experience a nice, easy, pain-free life? Only in our dreams. The reality of everyday living – as it’s been since time immemorial – is that it’s often a struggle. At times adversity seems like our closest friend.  

However, struggles we encounter can be good, especially if we embrace them, strive to learn from them, and grow as we go through them. The late author and poet Maya Angelou observed, “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”

 

What a perfect example, the butterfly. It starts as an egg, then hatches into a worm-like larva (which we call a caterpillar) that we see slinking along the ground or a sidewalk, desperately hoping no one steps on it or some kid doesn’t decide to use it as a little play toy. 

Then, when the time is right, it forms a chrysalis, a shield to protect it from extreme temperatures, parasites, and drying out. This serves as its home while the insect undergoes an amazing metamorphosis, body tissue breaking down to reform into wings, legs and other adult parts.

 

But the would-be butterfly’s struggle isn’t over yet. One important step remains. It must work its way out of the chrysalis, a struggle releasing chemicals that strengthen its wings. If a well-intentioned human tries to “assist” the butterfly in escaping the chrysalis, the butterfly is likely doomed. The Houdini-like struggle is critical for its development into the beautiful insect we observe flitting from place to place.

 

That’s basically how the ugly, fuzzy caterpillar changes into a glorious flying specimen. This mirrors the process God uses to transform His children from helpless, clumsy spiritual “caterpillars” to the “butterflies” He intends for us to become. It’s how we can trust 1 John 3:2 is true when it says, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

 

Can you imagine someone communicating with a caterpillar and showing it a photo of a butterfly, explaining, “This is what you’re going to look like”? If this were possible, the caterpillar likely would respond, “No way!” That’s what I think whenever I read the promise of 1 John 3:2, but it’s right there.

 

Contrary to those who would preach a theology of health, wealth and prosperity, the Bible repeatedly reminds us that struggle and hardship are part of the “job description” for all true followers of Christ. After declaring, “we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God,” the apostle Paul adds, “we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us…” (Romans 5:2-5).

 

Lest we make the mistake of rationalizing, “oh, that was just Paul. He went through some very hard times and was trying to make sense of them,” we find basically the same declaration by the apostle James: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).

 

“Mature and complete.” This kind of sounds like that industrious caterpillar constructing the chrysalis in which it would transform into a wondrous winged butterfly, an indispensable step in its transformational process. Similarly, when we face times of suffering, trials and testing, we can grumble and complain, muttering “Lord, why me?” Or we can accept them as being allowed by God to move forward the necessary spiritual process of transforming us into the image of His Son.

 

Sometimes difficulties we face are the result of our own doing, as God admonished the Israelites, “you will suffer for your sins” (Numbers 14:34). Sin, even when we receive forgiveness, still carries consequences. However, that’s not always the cause of our struggles. Just as Jesus Christ endured suffering on our behalf, as His followers we’re called to experience “the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death” (Philippians 3:10).

 

Are you going through a particular struggle right now – financial difficulties, health problems, family strife, challenges at work, adjusting to an unfamiliar stage of life, battling a recurring area of temptation? Remember the butterfly and its convoluted path to become a finished product, the lovely creature God made it to be. 

 

And most of all, remember the Lord Jesus, who not only suffered for us, but also is present with us in our own struggles: “For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are being tempted" (Hebrews 2:18).

 

It’s About Transformation, Not Information

As I’ve observed previously, somewhere along the line we became infatuated, enraptured, enthralled and obsessed with information. 

 

For years we’ve had access to news 24/7. In bygone days, we waited until the 6 or 11 o’clock news to find out what’s happened in the world around us. Now it’s readily available to us at the press of the remote on countless channels. We can access hundreds of news websites filled with information, some of it balanced, some of it extremely biased. If that’s not enough, we have numerous news apps available for our smartphones.

 

In the “olden days,” to learn more about a particular subject, folks would trek to the library, rummage through the card catalog and find the appropriate books. If they could afford it, parents would purchase Britannica, World Book, or Funk & Wagnalls encyclopedias. But who needs those anymore when we’ve got online resources like Wikipedia, a variety of search engines, and websites devoted to virtually any topic imaginable?

 

We’re saturated with information. The modern Church isn’t any different. In addition to the Bible – available in numerous translations with editions aimed at almost any demographic – we have commentaries, concordances, Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias, not to mention thousands upon thousands of books, DVDs and audios. We have conferences and seminars, all designed to increase our biblical knowledge.

 

But I’m reminded of what the late Latin American evangelist Luis Palau said years ago when asked to contrast American Christians with believers in Third World countries. His comment that stuck in my mind was, “Americans are afflicted with the lust of the mind.”

 

Knowledge is a good thing. Certainly, the more informed we are about aspects of our faith, the easier it is to solidify our beliefs and communicate truths of the Bible to others. But as I read the Scriptures, I find the underlying message isn’t about information – it’s about transformation.

 

Many people with vast knowledge about the Bible don’t know the Savior presented in the Bible. Some that have consumed tons of information about doctrine and theology, when they stand before the Lord, will be greatly disappointed. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven…. Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

 

Information and understanding are important, but without transformation by God’s Spirit, we might be merely hoarders of biblical facts and stories. We're told in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” When we have a truly life-changing encounter with Jesus, we don’t just gain new values and perspectives; we receive new life.

 

That’s the message of Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God – who loved me and gave Himself for me.” To know Jesus is to experience new, transformed life spiritually.

 

This isn’t a concept readily grasped, even by established religious leaders. When Jesus was approached by Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council, the Pharisee was struggling to figure out who this miracle worker and spellbinding teacher truly was. When Jesus told him, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John 3:3), poor Nick was dumbfounded.

 

“’How can a man be born when he is old?’ Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit’” (John 3:4-5). He was referring to both physical, temporal birth and spiritual, transformational birth.

 

The Christian life isn’t about trying harder, trying to fix or improve ourselves. It’s recognizing that apart from the saving, life-giving power of Jesus Christ, it’s an exercise in futility. As He told His followers: 

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener…. Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:1-5).

 

When the apostle Paul admonished Christ followers in ancient Rome, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2), he wasn’t urging them to seek information for the purpose of possessing more knowledge. They were to pursue a mind that had been transformed by the power of God’s Spirit.

 

Elsewhere Paul exhorted believers, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:23-24).

 

Ultimately, God is not asking us to be good, or to become better. He wants us to be made new.

Time of Year for Making Old Things New

Did you know spring is like Christmas? In their own ways, they’re both a “most wonderful time of the year.” Springtime brings warmer temperatures; flowers are starting to burst forth; and nature as a whole is emerging from its winter slumbers. It’s a time for renewal, reinvigoration, even rebirth.

 

Before long we’ll be seeing those creatures both curious and wonderful – caterpillars – crawly little critters aspiring to become something bigger, brighter and definitely more beautiful: Butterflies. What an amazing thing: a fuzzy creature slinking slowly along the ground that somehow knows how to build a rebirthing chamber called a chrysalis, only to emerge within a few short weeks as something totally different, newly equipped with delicate, colorful wings for flitting from place to place. 

 

This is more than a scientific marvel. It’s a miracle, a profound example of God’s creative capacities. It’s also a glorious metaphor for spiritual truth – God’s grand desire to turn each of us into something totally new, unstained by sin and its consequences. In fact, 2 Corinthians 5:17 puts it this way: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 

 

Sounds like that one-time caterpillar that has wrestled out of its chrysalis, doesn’t it? The difference is, our own transformation spiritually is all God’s doing. We respond to Him by faith, but He’s the change agent. As Jesus Christ told Nicodemus, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John 3:3). We can’t do that ourselves.

 

It’s a profound mystery, but true nonetheless, that as Galatians 2:16-20 describes it, “…So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law…. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

 

Why is this comparison of the lowly caterpillar and humans so important? Because it provides a common but compelling example of how God has worked from the very beginning, first speaking substance out of nothingness, as well as taking the old and broken and restoring it in ways that no longer resemble what was before. In Isaiah 43:18-19 God declares, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing? Now it sprints up; do you not perceive it?” 

 

One doesn’t need to look too hard or too far to observe the sorry, sickly state into which our society has descended. In vain we look for manmade cures. The very best that government or business or philosophy can conjure fall way short of fixing the seemingly unfixable. New laws, innovations and human reasoning seem little more than a Band-Aid for problems that require major surgery for spiritual heart disease.

 

Should we give up in frustration and despair? Not at all, and that’s one reason I believe God created the caterpillar-butterfly metamorphosis. It’s a visible depiction of how He intends to work in each of our lives, if we let Him. 

 

Near the close of the Book of all books, the Lord says, “I am making everything new!... Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true…. It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life” (Revelation 21:5-6).

 

The “new thing” God spoke about thousands of years ago, as recorded by the prophet Isaiah? He’s still doing it. Current residents of a world overwhelmed by so much pain and sorrow, we have the promise of a new world like nothing we’ve known: 

“Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4).

Any time you’re feeling down in the dumpster, fearing our world is going the wrong place in the proverbial handbasket, just look at a butterfly for a reminder: New things, they are a-comin’! 

What We Learn from Good Movies

This time of year, traditional holiday movies reappear on various network and cable TV stations, social media, and on DVDs at retail stores, where you can purchase your very own copies of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “A Christmas Carol,” “Miracle on 34^th Street,” “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “A Christmas Story,” and others.

Hallmark channels present their own Christmas movie marathons, demonstrating how to produce the same story over and over in many different ways: Boy meets girl; girl hates boy; curious circumstances bring boy and girl together; hate turns to mere dislike, then to like and intense like; conflict pulls girl and boy apart; and finally the story ties itself into a neat bow, boy and girl deeply in love and locked arm in arm, walking toward a glorious future together.

Some critics turn up their noses at such films, dismissing them as shallow, sentimental and sappy. In some instances, they’re right. Happily-ever-after may exist in fairy tales and Disney animated films, but not so much in real life. And yet there’s something about rollercoaster storylines that end up with a smile.

Familiar images of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
tell only a small part of the redemption story.

Years ago, I attended a presentation about what good movies can teach us about biblical truth. Almost all classic films – the ones we want to watch over and over – have three common elements that reflect what the Bible teaches. In one way or another, they present us with Creation, followed by the Fall, and then Redemption.

The film starts out with characters well-defined that we grow to like in a very short time: The Creation. At some point conflict invades the scenario, putting those characters into difficulty, even peril. In many cases, it’s the result of their own bad choices, what the Scriptures define as “sin”: The Fall. Before the story ends, the intense conflict is somehow satisfactorily resolved, relationships are restored, and the viewers leave with “feel good” moods: Redemption.

Consider “It’s a Wonderful Life” as an example. George Bailey the banker is a good guy, beloved by most in his hometown of Bedford Falls. Reeling from the negligence of trusted Uncle Billy, George is pushed to the brink of suicide. Providence intervenes, using a comical angel named Clarence. George is rescued from the fatal throes of despair as he discovers his life was not the failure he supposed. Ultimately the townspeople rally around him, evil Mr. Potter’s scheme is foiled, and a merry Christmas is restored in Bedford Falls.

Recently, speaker Alistair Begg expressed this progression a bit differently. He defined the three stages as Alienation, Reconciliation, and Transformation. We see these steps repeatedly in the Bible’s Old and New Testaments.

Alienation from God, our separation from Him by sin, is clearly expressed in Romans 3:10, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.” Later in the same chapter we’re told, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). There’s a chasm between us and God that we can’t cross.

The idea of Reconciliation is presented to us in Romans 5:8, which says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  This truth is restated in Romans 6:23, affirming that, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We respond to God’s love, but He initiated the reconciliation process through the atoning death of Christ on the cross.

In 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 we also read about “God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, no counting men’s sins against them….”

Finally comes the Transformation, described one verse earlier in 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Galatians 2:20 communicates the same reality when it says that each follower of Jesus can trust that, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas and Christ’s birth in just a few days, it would be good to remember that we – part of God’s creation – were subjected to the fall of man, but when Jesus came to earth in the humblest of circumstances, it was the first step in His eternal plan for our redemption. Kind of like in the movies.

Misinformation, Information, or Transformation?

It’s often said the Bible is the best-selling, least-read book ever written. That seems to be true, based on comments and perspectives we hear about the Bible on TV, radio, newspapers and magazines, the Internet, social media, casual conversation – and even some of our churches.

World sales of the Bible exceed 100 million copies each year, with revenue from sales in the United States alone ranging between $425 million and $650 million annually. Yet the average person knows surprisingly little about what’s between the front and back covers. For instance, “God helps those that help themselves” and “cleanliness is next to godliness” aren't found in any Bible.

There are those who seem to have learned much of what they know about the Scriptures from the books of 2 Opinions or 3 Speculations. They preface comments about God and the Bible with, “Well, I think….” It’s fine to know what people think, and everyone’s entitled to their own points of view. But have they ever truly looked to see what the Bible actually says? Without seriously doing so, all we have to work with is misinformation.

Others are quick to cite specific passages that serve to reinforce a point they want to make. For instance, they point out Jesus commanded us to “love your neighbor as yourself,” but forget (or ignore) that He first said we’re to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:36-39, Mark 12:30-31, Luke 10:27). Because we can’t really do our best at loving our neighbors without first loving God as we should.

Pulling passages selectively from the Bible provides us with useful information, but without studying them in proper context and considering what some would term, “the whole counsel of God,” that’s all it is – information.

Over my years of reading, studying and meditating on the Scriptures, I’ve learned their intent is definitely not for misinformation. Nor did God provide them merely for information. His goal for us is simple: Transformation.

This time of year we celebrate the renewal of life – flowers growing, bees buzzing, and before too long, butterflies flitting about. But the thing about butterflies is there’s an important step required for them to become such delicate, colorful, graceful creatures. They must first exist in life as caterpillars.

The cartoon I’ve posted cleverly makes this point. How a fuzzy, slow-moving caterpillar builds and then resides in its cocoon until the time is right for it to work its way out, emerging as a lovely butterfly is one of nature’s (God’s) wonders. But what’s the link between the Bible and butterflies? They both involve transformation.

When Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:3, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again,” He wasn’t talking about attitude adjustment, but transformation. For emphasis Jesus repeated a few verses later, "You must be born again" (John 3:7) Another passage elaborates: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Out with the old; in with the new.

Picture a butterfly emerging from the cocoon. It bears little resemblance to its former self. This serves as a physical metaphor for spiritual transformation. As we mature in our faith in Jesus Christ, the persons we once were should seem less and less like the people we’re becoming. Our former selves should be more and more like an old photo, bearing little likeness to what God is reshaping us to be.

So in reading the Bible, I’m wary of misinformation. I appreciate the information I receive, but don’t want to stop there. What I’m after is transformation. That’s what God is after for all of us.