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).

 

‘I’m With Him’

Being a journalist for most of my life has had its perks. Lucrative compensation wasn’t among them, unfortunately, but I did get to go to some interesting places. I had the privilege of meeting the late, highly respected Dr. Richard Halverson in the U.S. Senate Building when he was chaplain of the Senate. I got to go up to an exclusive restaurant atop one of the World Trade Center towers several years before they were destroyed by terrorists. 

A constable took me inside the police headquarters in Montego Bay, Jamaica. I even toured the inside a new electronic scoreboard at Ohio Stadium while the football mecca was being renovated some years back. Who knew those scoreboards are so huge, you could take up residence in one?

In each case, I couldn’t just stroll in on my own accord. I was with someone authorized to let me enter and guide me through. Although it never happened, if someone had challenged whether I was entitled to be allowed in, I would have just pointed to my host and said, “I’m with him.”

What if it’s like that when our earthly tour has come to an end and we’re standing in front of the proverbial “pearly gates”? What if, as some of us were taught in the door-to-door evangelism script, we encounter God at the entrance and He asks, “Why should I let you into My Heaven?” Maybe, instead of trying to recount the meritorious things we said and did, we’ll simply point to Jesus and say, “I’m with Him.”

Because that’s what the Scriptures teach over and over. For instance, Romans 5:8 asserts, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” As a friend used to paraphrase this verse years ago, “Christ took the rap for me.” 

Another passage in the same book elaborates the “with Him” concept in unequivocal terms: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with”  (Romans 6:4-6).

Yet another “with Him” passage revolutionized my thinking – and my faith – when I read, “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” (Galatians 2:20).

During His time walking the earth, Jesus loved the relationships He built with His followers. Mark 3:14 states, “He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach.” Much in the gospels speaks about interactions Jesus had with His closest disciples. But the Scriptures also tell of how He eagerly anticipates our being with Him in the life to come.

In fact, 1 John 3:2 declares we not only will be with Christ, but “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.”

So one day, if the hypothetical question is asked, “Why should I let you into My Heaven,” we can respond not only, “I’m with Him,” but we’ll also make the amazing discovery that we’re like Him. The eternal family resemblance, apparently, will be unmistakable! 

Do We Know Who We Know?

Occasionally we hear or read about someone accused of committing a heinous crime, and a friend or family member defends the person, stating, “Well, I know so-and-so, and he/she would never do that.” Do they know for certain? We just experienced a very contentious Presidential election, ending with many of us voting for the candidate we “knew” would be best for the job.

Have you ever attended a wedding ceremony, watching the couple exchange their vows, and thinking, “Man, they really don’t have any idea what they’re doing!” Because the fact is, no matter how long a courtship is, two people never really know each other until they begin to permanently live under the same roof. Even then it typically takes years to genuinely know the other individual.

Watching the news, or entertainment shows, we think we know a certain celebrity or dignitary – but we don’t. We only know what’s presented to us, what we perceive from outward appearances, and what others say about them. Do we really “know” the Kardashians? Or Princess Kate? Or Morgan Freeman?

During the election campaign, what we knew about Trump, Clinton or Sanders was largely what the news media carefully and selectively offered to us. But we couldn’t honestly say we knew them.  For instance, what’s their favorite color? Favorite food? Musical preferences? Do they snore? Boxers or briefs?

There is only one sure way of knowing a person, any person. That’s to spend time with them. The more time spent with them, usually the better we get to know them. We can observe someone at work and think they’re wonderful. We might hear a persuasive speaker and think, “Wouldn’t it be fun to be that person’s close friend?” But as many of us have painfully discovered, outward appearances can woefully deceive. Only when we spend time with people do we discover what they’re actually like.

How about knowing God? What does it mean when we declare, “I know the Lord”? Maybe one time we walked an aisle, raised a hand, or marked a card to indicate a commitment to Jesus Christ. But do any of those acts signify having an intimate, everyday relationship with Him?

I can think of several people who would tell you they “know” God, but evidence in their lives would attest to the contrary. Saying we know doesn’t necessarily mean we know. As the Bible tells us, “You believe there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder” (James 2:19). And the Scriptures assure that we won’t be troubled by demons in heaven. Knowing God in the redemptive, life-transforming way means much more than intellectual knowledge or belief.

To me, to know God is similar in some ways to knowing a spouse or cherished friend. We want to spend time with them; we do spend time with them, and over time, we come to know them better and better.

Relationships – human and spiritual – don’t grow through hit-and-miss, casual interactions. They require not only time, but also the investment of ourselves. We want to be with those we love, to the extent that we miss them dearly when we’re not with them.

Psalm 63:1 describes what this can look like for someone who truly knows the Lord and desires to be with Him. “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you, my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” This psalm, attributed to King David, communicates a deep, intense yearning to be in the presence of the God he knew and trusted. No wonder he’s described as a man with “a heart after God” (Acts 13:22), despite his grievous lapses into sin.

In many respects, like David, we’re living in a “dry and weary land,” at least in a spiritual sense. All the more reason we should thirst and long for time with the Lord, whether through prayer and time reading and studying the Scriptures, associating with like-minded believers, or seeking to be active participants in His work here on earth.

One day we’ll see Him face to face, as 1 John 3:2 promises: “…when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” Do we know Him, the way we “know” Miley Cyrus, Lebron James or Bill Gates – or do we know Him?

Projecting the Right Image

Don’t you feel moved when a theatrical film portrays someone’s selfless acts toward another person? Or when we see a news report about an individual whose heroic actions saved another person from serious harm, even death? I think this touches each of us, but why is that? After all, we’re not the beneficiaries of those acts. Why should we even care?

Recently I watched a video of an Asian man engaged in random forms of kindness and felt the same uplifting emotions. His actions weren’t grandiose, and didn’t require a lot of effort, yet they made me think, “Why aren’t we all like this – and all the time?”

His acts were simple, really: Moving a withering plant under a stream of water cascading from an awning; assisting an imporverished woman push her cart across a street; sharing a meal with a stray dog at an outdoor café; leaving bananas at the apartment door of an elderly woman; giving some money to a mother and her young daughter as they sat on a sidewalk asking for help.

In several cases his generosity and caring led to positive outcomes – the dog became a trusted companion, and the little girl eventually started attending school so she could learn how to live a better life. But even if the outcomes had not been favorable, or even viewers saw no results at all, we still would have agreed his kindnesses were commendable. But why?

I think it’s because, as Genesis 1:26-27 declares, we’re made to bear the very image of God. “The God said, ‘Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness’…. So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.”

Studying the Scriptures, it’s clear this doesn’t mean physical or anatomical characteristics, but rather some of God’s divine attributes and virtues, such as love, mercy, compassion, kindness, joy, generosity, understanding, and selflessness. Granted, even in demonstrating such qualities we do so very imperfectly. Our intentions might be good, but our efforts at being others-centered often leave something to be desired. But the key is that we even attempt to do things for others, regardless of whether they’re noticed, or appreciated.

Those that deny God’s existence would explain these traits through a belief in evolution, that for no reason at all, humanity is always becoming “new and improved.” They would contend that honorable human qualities somehow emerged and “evolved” out of chaos and meaninglessness; somewhere along the line the notions of natural selection and survival of the fittest were mitigated by a desire to “do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Of course, that philosophy wasn’t espoused by Charles Darwin, some erudite philosopher, or a member of the scientific elite, but by Jesus Christ, as quoted in Matthew 7:12. Jesus added an edict equally revolutionary for His time when He said we’re to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39), recalling a principle introduced in the Old Testament: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:18).

This idea of bearing the image of God wasn’t discarded after the Old Testament’s span of thousands of years. In fact, it’s a promise transcending the New Testament, one that extends to each of His followers. But why would the invisible God choose to make mankind in His image? Besides the fact He wants us to be kind to one another? One reason is that when others see us – especially through actions and behavior as described above – they can see Him reflected in us. “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (1 John 4:12).

The concept of representing God to others was articulated by the apostle Paul when he wrote, “We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20). As flawed as we are, the Lord wants us to serve as His spokespersons.

We’re also told that being made in God’s image isn’t just for this life. It’s a promise for all eternity. In one of his letters, the apostle John made this mind-boggling assertion: “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

We are not only privileged to serve as His image bearers on earth, but as amazing as it sounds, when we see Him face to face, we will be like Him! Can you imagine? Is that cool, or what?