Category: Devotionals

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Metamorphosis

While preaching through the New Testament book of Romans a few years ago, I came to chapter twelve, verse two, and quickly realized the significance of the word μεταμορφουσθε (metamorphousthe). Britannica defines it as the continuous, remarkable “change of form or structure in an individual after hatching or birth.” The word is metamorphosis and it is translated into English as transformed.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform 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 (Romans 12:1-2).

There are many ways to discuss discipleship, what it takes to grow spiritually, and how to become the people we are meant to be, but it seems to me that metamorphosis may provide the best analogy because the changes are drastic and visible, as are many of the changes that take place when we come to Christ. The end result of the process is beauty, which is also an apt description of what the Lord brings into our lives.

From the introduction to Butterfly Believers.

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GOTCHA

Early in my military career, I showed up at a new infantry battalion one day and started meeting some of the guys. The Sergeant Major introduced himself and asked, “Hey Chaplain, do you have your Gotcha Cards?”

“No, Sergeant Major. I’ve never heard of a Gotcha Card, and don’t know what it is, so I’m pretty sure I don’t have one. What is it?”

“Our previous chaplain, every time he heard one of us cuss or swear or use the Lord’s name in vain would pull out a business card, but all it said in big bold letters was GOTCHA. So when the guys heard we were getting a new chaplain, they started wondering if you were going to be like the last one.”

“I bet you guys hated him.”

“Yes. We. Did.”

“Tell you what. I’m not planning on having any Gotcha Cards printed up, so you can relax. Cuss if you want. I’m just here to love you guys.”

Apparently, a bunch of Soldiers were listening to the conversation, because as soon as I made that last statement, a cheer erupted from around the corner.

“You’re gonna fit in fine here, Chaps. Nice to have you aboard.”

Over the next two years, I led more than 25 of those guys to faith in Christ, and I never once said, GOTCHA. Oh, they cussed, alright. But I figured it was the Holy Spirit’s job to reach them, and he does a pretty good job. I just had to do my part, which was love them and be consistent in setting an example of what a Christian is and does.

This is the opening story in my new book titled Gotcha.

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Butterfly Believers

Perfect for group discussions or personal devotions, Butterfly Believers is now published by Wipf & Stock.

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33% Off Sale Through September

From now through September, my book Butterfly Believers, costs only $10 instead of $15, both on my website and on Amazon.

Inspired by a study of Romans 12:1-2, Butterfly Believers consists of forty devotional readings, each one based on one aspect of the butterfly life cycle. In the same way a butterfly changes every single day, Butterfly Believers are also transforming continuously, moving towards spiritual depth and strength.

The author presents forty specific facts about the egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and imago, adding one or two appropriate scripture verses. The result is an inspiring devotional about moving step by step towards maturity, and blossoming into the beautiful Imago Dei.

There is never a day when a butterfly in any stage is the same as it was the day before. This is also true of people. The author uses metamorphosis as an analogy, breaking down the steps to personal growth, making it easier to understand, and making the process interesting and fun.

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Maturity Requires Patience

In warm, tropical areas of the earth, a caterpillar might emerge from the egg just two days after it was placed on the host plant, but in the colder, northern parts of the world, such as in the Arctic regions, it takes longer. The variations of time often have to do with the temperature. But if it survives, whether a caterpillar was in the egg 3 days, 3 weeks, or 3 months, the end result is the same. A voraciously hungry caterpillar bites and claws its way out and starts eating whatever suitable vegetation it can find so it can build up the bulk and stamina it’s going to need later on.

There’s an important lesson here for Butterfly Believers who live in an era of instant gratification. When we want something, we usually want it right now. But spiritual growth takes time. Personal maturity requires many years. Building a lasting relationship, whether with another person or with God, doesn’t happen instantly. So we have to be patient, persistent, and faithful.

Every college football player has the dream of getting into the NFL and being a smashing success right from the beginning of the rookie year: starting every game, being in the playoffs, winning the championship, making big money, receiving the MVP trophy, everything. The reality is that it takes most players several years to reach their peak. After years of working hard, maybe with a couple of injuries and failures, they finally get to the place of consistent, high-level performance . . . if they last long enough in the league.

The same is true in our walk with the Lord. We have high hopes. We want to be mature and spiritually deep. We feel an urgency to participate in ministry. But the sometimes-painful truth is that we might not be ready for that yet, which is why James said Not many of you should become teachers (James 3:1) and Paul wrote that a leader in the Kingdom of God must not be a recent convert (1 Timothy 3:6).

There’s another reason for being patient. When we try to rush the process, we tend to set ourselves up for failure or disillusionment, and this can be devastating, leading many to drop out of church or give up the faith entirely.

In the same way caterpillars have to be patient and hatch at the right time, and just like athletes have to develop skills over time and earn a starting spot on the team, Butterfly Believers will focus on the Lord, allow spiritually mature brothers and sisters to provide discipleship and mentoring, not pretend to be more mature than they really are, and not try to take on leadership responsibilities too soon.

The above is an excerpt from Butterfly Believers, one of several books that may be perfect for individual reading or group discussion. My wife (Linda) put together this jigsaw puzzle that shows a variety of mature butterflies.

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Show Me the Money

Some men tried to set a trap for Jesus one day by asking him a trick question. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar? They expected a simple yes/no, either/or answer that would force him into a corner and get him into trouble with either the Roman authorities or the Jewish leaders. It would be a win/win for them and a lose/lose for him. But as he often did, Jesus had an interesting reply . . . Show Me the Money!

“Show Me the coin used for the tax.” So they brought Him a denarius.

“Whose image and inscription is this?” He asked them.

“Caesar’s,” they said to Him.

Then He said to them,

“Therefore give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,

and to God the things that are God’s”

(Matthew 22:19-22).

In answering their question, Jesus avoided the obvious either/or, and totally reframed the dilemma. In the eternal scheme of things, it doesn’t matter who you pay taxes to. The real issue is whose likeness is on the coin and whose picture is on you as a person because the image shows the identity of the owner. Since Caesar’s picture is on the denarius, go ahead and return it to him. It belongs to him. Likewise, because God’s image is on you, he claims ownership of your life, so give back to the Lord what is rightfully his. You belong to him.

Jesus’s reply turned the tables on them because they were the spiritual leaders who were supposed to understand the scriptures. They were the ones who claimed to have the image of God. Yet in reality, they were far from God.

Give back to Caesar what already belongs to him,

and give back to the Lord what already belongs to him.

An adult insect is officially called an imago, which means image or picture. This is the stage the butterfly looks its best, is fully developed, and fulfills its purpose. This is the stage that has captured the imagination of people around the world since the beginning of history. And this is where our discussion of the butterfly life cycle comes to a crescendo.

The butterfly is a wonderful analogy of the spiritual growth among Christians because metamorphosis means transformation, and the gradual changes from one stage to the next are so appropriate for a discussion of the changes that take place in our lives. But another fantastic part of the story is that the mature or perfect form of the adult butterfly is called an imago. This is a powerful reminder that every Butterfly Believer was fashioned in the Image of God. Theologians refer to this by using the Latin phrase, Imago Dei.

His image, his likeness, his stamp of ownership is indelibly printed on our soul, our very being, and we have chosen to give ourselves back to him. This is what we were created for. This is our reason for being. This is what empowers us to reach our highest level of existence. This is what we were designed for.

No matter who you are, where you are from, whether you are male or female, or what you look like, you are made in the Image of God and there’s nobody in the world more important or more valuable than you. You are free to be yourself, free to pursue your dreams, free to express yourself, and free to fly. And in that freedom, you can liberate others to do the same. You are a Butterfly Believer. And you are beautiful.

This is an excerpt from Paul Linzey’s book, Butterfly Believers, which is available on this website and on Amazon. It is perfect for home group or Bible study discussion or for personal devotional reading.

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Make It to the Next Level

Even though butterfly eggs are glued securely to the plant, they are quite vulnerable. If the weather is too cold or too dry, they won’t survive. They are often eaten by birds, snails, spiders, other insects, and reptiles. Grazing animals sometimes eat the leaves the eggs were laid on.

One of the worst problems is that microscopic wasps get into the butterfly eggs and eat the yolk.  Sometimes, the eggs are laid never having been fertilized. When this happens, the eggs will dry out and rot. As you can see, there are many dangers awaiting the butterfly eggs, which is why the vast majority will not survive and make it to the next stage. Who knew?

But butterfly eggs aren’t the only creatures whose survival is in jeopardy. Baby Christians will also experience perilous times. Peter tells us to Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Paul writes in his letter to Timothy that many will fall into temptations and traps that plunge people into ruin and destruction (1 Timothy 4:12). Perhaps the Lord himself described it best in his Parable of the Sower and the Seed.

Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. (Matthew 13:1-23).

In the same way that butterfly eggs have a tough time making it to the next level, Butterfly Believers also have a tough time surviving temptations, distractions, the devil, the cares and concerns of life, deception, lack of depth, or having no roots. St. Paul would add false teachers and persecution to the list. Hebrews would suggest that there are sins that entangle us and may jeopardize our walk with the Lord.

On the other hand, there is a purpose in our struggles. James reminds us to Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:2-4).

Mature and complete. Not lacking anything. Strong enough to endure whatever we face. That’s what the Lord has in mind for us. He has given us his spirit for strength, guidance, and inspiration. He also places people in our lives to encourage and mentor us. We have what it takes to make it. No wonder James can tell us to be joyful. But we still have to go through the storms and struggles.

This is what the people of God experienced during the tough days after they returned from the Babylonian captivity and started rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. They faced all sorts of difficulties. Yet, Nehemiah could stand up and proclaim to the people, The joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). And he was right.

This is an excerpt from the book, Butterfly Believers, available on this website or from Amazon. The book is perfect for a personal 40-day devotional, but also an excellent resource for a class or home group discussion. A lot of people have given it as a gift. The photo below was taken and graciously provided by Don Biadog, a retired Navy chaplain.

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Baby Steps

Whenever I take on a new activity, start playing a new game, or dig into researching a new topic, my natural desire is that I want to be good at it immediately. This is true whether playing Settlers of Catan the first time, taking trumpet lessons as a kid, or deciding later in life to get into table tennis. The problem is that learning any new skill, art, or subject matter takes time, even for those who seem to be naturally gifted. Some people pick up new skills rather quickly, while others take a bit longer.

This dynamic plays out at our house over and over again. We’ll hear about a new game from our kids or friends; we’ll buy the game and start playing it; my wife will catch on really fast and win the game every single time we play; I get discouraged and never want to play it again. But then I begin to understand the strategies, and start winning once in a while.

The same may be true for new believers. When we’re just getting started in the life of faith, we might not be very good at it yet. We continue in some of our old ways, making a few too many errors, and then we get discouraged and want to quit. But don’t give up, and don’t throw in the towel just yet, my friend. There’s hope for you. In the case of a butterfly, the goal at the start is to be a good egg. Being a good caterpillar will happen later. Eventually, you’ll have a chance at being a great butterfly.

The first noticeable change that happens to a butterfly egg is that a few days after being deposited, it starts to change color.

Many eggs start out light colored like an off-white to a yellow color then change to a dark color or black before the caterpillar comes out. Most caterpillars hatch out of the eggs in 3-7 days. It can vary depending on species and other conditions.

Green or blue eggs may also turn gradually darker, and if you were to look at the eggs through a microscope at just the right time, you’d be able to see the tiny caterpillars starting to develop.

The butterfly life cycle is one of complete transformation . . . in every stage . . . in every part of every stage . . . all the way to the end of its existence. It never stays the same. It’s always changing in some way. Sometimes the changes are easily observable. But sometimes you might not even know the change is happening because it’s subtle . . . or invisible.

This is helpful for us to keep in mind as disciples of Jesus Christ. Change takes time. Learning is incremental. Like Bill Murray’s character in the movie What About Bob, we start with baby steps.

So hang in there. Don’t give up the faith or let go of your commitment to Christ. Don’t quit the church. It may be that the changes are happening at the invisible level right now, and in just a few days you’ll be ready to hatch and become a caterpillar. And then a whole new existence begins.

As the apostle writes in 2 Corinthians 3:18, We all are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory. First steps are always tricky for butterflies, puppies, and people.

The above is an excerpt from my book Butterfly Believers, which can be found on Amazon.com or on this website.

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Counting the Cost

The average female butterfly will deposit from one hundred to three hundred eggs, some will produce as few as a dozen, and others more than a thousand. Some butterflies will place the eggs on the leaf one at a time. Others will deposit a group or a cluster of eggs, stacking them neatly, one on top of another. Still others will release a mass of eggs in a pile. Whatever method the butterfly uses, she will glue them onto the leaf, stem, or flower to make sure they won’t come off. The glue is so strong that it’s impossible to remove the egg without destroying the creature inside.

There are two similarities to Butterfly Believers I’d like to point out here. First, in the same way some eggs are laid one at a time and others are piled or grouped in a mass, some people come to faith in Christ individually while others are part of a large gathering where there may be hundreds who respond to the gospel at the same time.

The other similarity has to do with the church or fellowship we choose to attend. Some people live in a place where there is no church or congregation, so they worship, read the scriptures, and pray all by themselves. Many people around the world attend small churches of anywhere from ten people to fifty or sixty. And a lot of people prefer what may be called a megachurch, which may have hundreds or thousands gathering at the same time and place.

I met one man who dreamed that he met Jesus. That dream led him to “count the cost” and commit his life to Christ, even though he lived in a place where there was serious persecution. The expression “count the cost” comes from Luke 14:28, where Jesus said to a large crowd:

For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it? Later, when talking to his disciples, he told them, Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny the self, take up his or her cross and follow me (Matthew 16:24).

I was six years old when my mother took our family to a camp meeting in a revival tent. Listening to the preacher, I understood for the first time that Jesus went to the cross for my sins. I turned to my brother and said, “I’m going up to get saved,” and he replied, “Me too!” We ran up the center aisle, around to the wooden benches behind the platform, and knelt until someone came and prayed with us. I don’t remember if there was anyone else praying to receive Christ as Lord and Savior that night, but there were at least two of us.

Years later, I attended several Billy Graham rallies in huge stadiums. When Dr. Graham gave a salvation altar call, literally hundreds of people left their seats, found their way to the ball field below, and en masse, committed their lives to Jesus Christ. It was an individual decision each person had to make, but it happened in a much larger setting than my boyhood experience or the man who had the dream.

There are many ways to come to and participate in the body of Christ. Size or numbers isn’t the point. What matters is devotion to the Lord, growing in your faith, and recognizing that you are part of the family of God.

This is an excerpt from the book, Butterfly Believers, a collection of devotional readings based on Romans 12:2 and butterfly metamorphosis. Paul Linzey is a former pastor & military chaplain, now teaching Spiritual Formation and Practical Ministry at Called College & North Central University.