Inside-Out

“do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind.”
(Romans 12:2)

The word transformed is the word metamorphoo, from which comes the English word metamorphosis. You may remember this word from seventh-grade science. It’s the process a creeping caterpillar goes through to become transformed into a soaring butterfly. Just as the former caterpillar is barely noticeable once it has been transformed into a butterfly, Paul says that we, as children of God undergo a change that makes us barely noticeable to what we once were.

For a follower of Christ, when this morphing process happens, we don’t just do the things Jesus would have done; we find ourselves wanting to do them. They appeal to us. They make sense. We don’t just go around trying to do right things; we become the right sort of people. We, like the caterpillar, are ordinary people who receive power for extraordinary change.

Reflections


 What is one area of your life you know God wants to transform but you honestly don’t want to change (or have given up hope of ever changing)? Take time to pray for the Holy Spirit to give you a renewed desire to be changed in this area of your life and to give you hope in his power to bring transformation.


 Imagine a caterpillar. What stages does it go through? What does the caterpillar do to be transformed into a butterfly? What does the caterpillar not do? How does these relate and parallel to our spiritual transformation?


"The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way."(J. R. R. Tolkien)