Just like the caterpillar must endure insufferable pain for a season before being transformed into what it’s meant to be, we, humans, also need to go through fiery trials to metamorphose into what God has destined us to be—becoming more like God, mirroring the character of His Son, Jesus.
The butterfly is one of God’s finest works of art—and no, it’s not just about its exquisite patterns or the vibrant iridescent hues adorning its wings; it’s the grit, humility, and bewildering, challenging process by which this seemingly odd-looking caterpillar turns into a mesmerizing butterfly that will astound you.
A butterfly is often associated with elegance, peace, love, and all things beautiful— but behind its intricate, lovely facade lies the struggle it lived through before it blossomed and evolved into what it was destined to be.
This winged insect has to go through painful stages of growth before it turns into a full-blown butterfly. To facilitate its development, it has to crawl out of its skin as it gets bigger and needs to split its skin open and shed it four to five times. Nearing the final stage, the caterpillar needs to digest itself to release enzymes that will dissolve all of its tissues. This, in itself, is an agonizing process; it’s like dying to oneself to be reborn.
“Spin and die,
To live again a butterfly.” —Christina Rossetti
Nonetheless, the moment the caterpillar turns into a stunning, iridescent winged creature. Every bit of agony it endured is worth the payoff. Its resilience, tenacity, and grit in overcoming the intolerable yielded a well-deserved reward.
God’s Timetable
"We need to accept the fact that there are appointed times by God and He has the authority to decide when, what, and how things are going to be.” —Amir Tsarfati, founder and president of Behold Israel
Unlike the butterfly, we humans have not mastered the art of victory through fortitude and resilience. As Christians, we understand how crucial it is to respect and accept God’s timing in our lives. But, being human, we are not built to withstand life’s fiery arrows with grins stretching from ear to ear.
Quite simply, we are not naturally inclined to dazzle the world with incredible patience while enduring hardship. Calm and tenacious under pressure? Definitely not in our wheelhouse! Our fallen nature makes us testy and disgruntled when things don’t go our way.
We often yearn for the day when all our troubles finally fade into obscurity for good—sealed out, locked away, never to surface again!
Moreover, being surrounded by the conveniences of tech swooping in to cater to our every whim, it’s safe to assert that we have been the most pampered generation in history.
Whether it be food delivery, travel arrangements, digital entertainment, or online shopping, we can snag whatever we want with ease. We can also buy stuff even when we’re low on cash...just swipe your credit card, and you’re good to go.
Thus, it's not surprising that our patience can wear thin in a snap. We’re so used to a fast-paced life that getting what we want when we want it is the highlight of our day. As such, the adage, “Patience is a virtue” makes sense. Anyone possessing this virtue is a rare gem, quite elusive as exceptional.
Obviously, we need great heaping gobs of patience in this fallen world where life’s troubles can knock us flat on our backs if we have the patience of a gnat.
Learn God’s Truth from Nature
As we all know, God made nature not only to sustain us but to teach us His greatest truths. The painful process a butterfly goes through, for example, proves to us that anything worth having is often forged in the fires of hardships, refined by the ups and downs we weather each day.
“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you.” Job 12:7-8 (NIV)
“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.” Proverbs 6:6-8 (NIV)
God Is Working Through Your Waiting
God allows us to go through seasons of suffering for a reason.
Just like the caterpillar must endure insufferable pain for a season before being transformed into what it’s meant to be, we, humans, also need to go through fiery trials to metamorphose into what God has destined us to be—becoming more like God, mirroring the character of His Son, Jesus.
“But we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John 3:2 NKJV
Like most of us, you likely spend days and nights asking God for respite, to finally be freed from the bitter trials life has hurled at you. Nonetheless, there seems to be no halt to the devastating setbacks that haunt you.
As a result, it’s difficult to accept God’s timing, no matter how aware you are of the fact that His timing is always perfect. You just want God to relieve you of your suffering immediately.
Thus, in our spiritual walk with the Lord, our impatience is our Achilles’ heel—the very thing that’s tripping us up—stagnating our growth, preventing us from transitioning from being morally flawed and fragile to becoming mature and seasoned followers of Christ. As such, blessings are impeded, and our difficult journey stretches on with no end in sight.
Note: Read 10 Healthy Habits to Help You to Live out “Be Still' in Psalm 46 when life’s relentless struggles become unbearable, enabling you to be still even when life’s adversities become too daunting.
God's Perfect Will and Timing
Though our brain is wired to resist and avoid pain, there’s hope. Jesus died on the cross not only to redeem us of our sins but to enable us to receive the Spirit of God, the One who will empower us to overcome the lust of the flesh and our inner vulnerabilities.
“The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41 (NIV)
“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26 (NIV)
By surrendering our all to God, the Spirit of the Lord can powerfully wield its authority over us, enabling us to go against our flesh—to counter and resist our self-serving nature and acknowledge God’s sovereign dominion over our lives.
God Makes Us Wait for a Reason
The Israelites wandered through the wilderness for 40 years, David waited 15 years to be king, Abraham waited 25 years for the promised son to be born, Joseph was in prison for 13 years before God finally blessed him and used him mightily for His glory, and the list goes on.
Thus, count yourself blessed and wholly loved if God is making you wait, even as you struggle through life’s debilitating setbacks—for there’s always a higher purpose behind our suffering.
Let us be like the lowly, tenacious, and resilient caterpillar that yields without resisting—trusting and embracing the agonizing pain entailed in the process of becoming.
So, dear Christians, when the going gets tough, let's keep in mind that every setback we endure, every determination to yield to God’s commands, and every act of self-denial will take us closer to becoming more and more like Christ, just as God had envisioned us to be.
For it is only by dying to ourselves and living for Christ that God can sculpt us into His masterpiece—a vessel of His love, light, and holiness.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3 (NIV)
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Suzanne D Williams
