Butterflies: A Story of Rebirth

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. — 2 Corinthians 5:17

Rebirth can be a difficult concept to understand, but the lovely little butterfly offers a picture of what takes place when Christ comes into a human heart. The caterpillar’s metamorphosis provides a wonderful illustration of a believer’s spiritual transformation:

The caterpillar or larva is in the feeding phase. It eats the leaves in its world just as we feed on the ideas of the world around us.

At the chrysalis or pupa stage, the caterpillar appears lifeless. Jesus’ lifeless body was taken down off the cross and placed in a tomb. A believer’s chrysalis stage is when we die to sin.

The caterpillar emerges from its cocoon, transformed into a completely new creature. Similarly,

• we who recognize our sin, confess it, receive God’s forgiveness, and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord are transformed into new life in Him.

The butterfly does not return to the caterpillar state; nor can it return to the pupa phase. When a butterfly emerges from its cocoon, it flies — something it couldn’t do before! The butterfly also drinks sweet nectar instead of gorging on leaves.

Are you a new creation in Christ still trying to gorge on leaves? If so, do you find them choking you? Are you a new creation in Christ still trying to crawl back inside the cocoon to live as you once lived? Even if you could go back in time, leaves would no longer nourish you, and the torn cocoon would no longer protect you. Why? Because God has transformed you into a new creation. Now you have the blessed privilege and opportunity to soar in His power and do His work on this planet.

So spread your wings into their full, beautiful glory. It’s time to fly.

Lord Jesus, at times I want to return to the cocoon, and at other times I want to gorge on the world’s ideas and values. Thank You for the beautiful reminder of the butterfly that never turns back to an earlier stage of life. Thank You, too, for this lovely symbol of both Your resurrection and my transformation.

Excerpted with permission from Devotions from the Garden by Miriam Drennan, copyright Thomas Nelson.

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Your Turn

How often do you remember that you are a new creation — the old is passed away, the old life is no longer, the old you has been buried with Christ and the new you has been raised with Him? Today, let’s soak in that and ask the Lord to show us ways in which we’re still pretending that the old ways will fit with new life. How do we need to live differently? Come join the conversation! We want to hear your thoughts and comments. ~ Devotionals Daily