Metamorpho's Metamorphosis

The Apostle Paul said, “be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” As a follower of Christ, how do I transform my mind? What does the process look like? Is it a one-time experience or a lifetime process? If we were honest with ourselves, most of us would agree that it’s a lifetime process. The challenge lies in how do we “transform” our minds? The Cambridge dictionary defines the “transform” as “to change completely the appearance of character of something or someone, especially so that that thing or person is improved.” The Greek word for “transform” is “metamorphoō” which comes from two words “meta” meaning “change” and “morphe” meaning “form.” Otherwise, it means “to change into another form.”

We’ve all seen the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly, but did you know that a caterpillar cannot make this transition on its own? The caterpillar needs something to hang onto for its transformation to occur. As a follower of Christ, we cannot be transformed on our own. God says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways… for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” As a caterpillar needs something to hang onto, so does the follower of Christ. Paul hit the nail on the head when he said, “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.”

Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically changes its form or structure through cell growth and differentiation.

As children, many of us learn about the wondrous process by which a caterpillar morphs into a butterfly. But what does that radical transformation entail? How does a caterpillar rearrange itself into a butterfly? The transformation starts from inside. Once again, Paul hits the nail on the head when he said, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” It comes down to what is inside our minds. As a caterpillar creates a cocoon around itself, followers of Christ need to wrap around themselves the Word of God. Once the cocoon has been completed, the caterpillar digests itself, releasing enzymes to dissolve all of its tissues. The Word of God says, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” The same concept applies in the life of a follower of Christ. Our wants, our needs, our desires should dissolve and be replaced with His wants, His needs and His desires. Unless a caterpillar is willing to make this ultimate sacrifice, it will not experience the splendor of becoming a butterfly nor the ability to fly. If we, as followers of Christ, are not willing to sacrifice ourselves to Him, we will never experience

His glory nor shall we “mount up with wings as eagles.” Accepting Christ is the first thing on our list of transforming ourselves. Sacrificing what’s in our lives for Him is the second thing on our list of transforming ourselves. Without sacrifice, transformation will be impossible.

Being a follower of Christ is a process.

It’s interesting to know that the caterpillar already has everything it needs to become a butterfly before going into the cocoon. They have imaginal discs for each of the adult body parts it will need as a mature butterfly – discs for its eyes, for its wings, its legs and so on. These discs are already contained with the body of the caterpillar. When we accept Christ as Lord and Savior, we already have everything we need to transform our minds. In the beginning, God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” God has given us, as followers, everything we need to transform our minds. Peter said, “His divine power has given us everything we need to experience life and to reflect God’s true nature through the knowledge of the One who called us by His glory and virtue.” Looking outside of the Word of God or outside of the Holy Spirit, will not give us what we need to become more like Christ. Paul said, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.” Paul knew the only way to become more like Christ is through sacrifice. Sacrificing will always cause us to put Christ first in our lives. Before we say anything, ask “would Jesus say this?” Before we watch something, ask “would Jesus watch this?” Before we respond to someone being mean to us, ask “how would Jesus respond to them?” Transformation is a process and every day we need

to make the decision to move that transformation to the next level or go backwards. There is no plateau in the life of a follower of Christ. Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Denying self requires us to give up anything that we would want or seek that would hinder our doing the will of God. This does not mean that, if we want something, it is necessarily wrong. We must be willing to commitment our whole life to God in every area, not just some, and do it daily.