Incomplete Metamorphosis

	Incomplete Metamorphosis                   God spoke to me while I was on a trip with my daughter to the Academy of Natural Sciences.  As we wondered through the live Butterfly exhibit I was drawn to the information on the Incomplete Metamorphosis of butterflies.  It was in this exhibit, that I began to understand the consequences of not allowing God to change us.                   The first process that occurs in the lifecycle of a butterfly is the Egg stage. This is when God initially calls us into a life with him.  Many of us are called through a time of crisis which allows God to crack the shell of our hard heart.  We sense God in our heart, but the reality of walking with God is still a mystery to be unfolded.  If we are not careful in this stage, we can quickly just be giving lip service to our confession of faith.  In this moment the best advice is to join a local church that teaches the word of God, read your word and connect with mature believers who exemplify Christ.                   The next stage of a butterfly is the Larva or caterpillar. What is remarkable about this stage is that the caterpillar just eats and eats. Remember when you first came to know God?  You attended church faithfully and fellowship was exciting. You ate the word of God and thought nothing could match that feeling. You loved God and his purpose for you and your family. This stage in the Butterfly’s life is also a time of shedding old skin to make way for the growth of the body. When you first came to know God, many sins quickly shed away.  It felt good not to cuss, drink or sleep around.  This was not because God wanted to make room for new sins to eradicate, but to show forth his Glory in our lives.                   The Pupa Stage is next and it is marked by a time of transitions. Many of us get stuck in this stage because we fear growth and what it may mean to our lives. A lot is happening in this stage but it can appear that nothing is happening.  When this stage occurs we are often going through many changes that we begin to lose our wonderment with God, church and people.  We don’t doubt God’s love, but we can get lost because the growth is too hard for us to comprehend.                   Growth is hard and we are all constantly fighting to remain in Christ while the battle is occurring, yet if we skip over the Pupa stage, we will develop an incomplete metamorphosis.  See, when a butterfly skips the Pupa stage and goes on to adulthood, they miss a very significant part of their process and regrettably will physically resemble an adult, but emotionally and physiologically will miss key components of the growth process.  Like the butterfly, many Christians want to go from a child to an adult in Christ. We want the blessings without growth to our character. We want the wins, but don’t want the failures. We want elevation, without humility.  Today, reflect on your growth process. Don’t turn back, but look forward with expected hope that Christ desires us to be whole; spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically. The word says “He who has begun a good work in you will bring it into completion at the day of Jesus Christ” Philippians 1:6. The word promises us that Jesus is the one who will bring it into completion if we remain.  Therefore, don’t be okay with Incomplete Metamorphosis, but seek wholeness in Christ.