Navigating the Seasons of Life

“It’s really dark in here right now. I wonder how long I’ve been hanging here. Does anyone know I even exist? I wish I knew how long I’m going to be in this place. I don’t remember signing up for this.” Just as a caterpillar must endure the darkness of the cocoon in order to emerge as a beautiful butterfly, so must we be willing to endure some dark days in order to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. Just as the little caterpillar goes through the beautiful process of metamorphosis, we go through a “spiritual metamorphosis.” As we abide in His word, it’s as though we’re spinning our own spiritual cocoon - a hidden place ,”Our life is hid with Christ in God,” where an unseen work takes place. It’s where we are transformed from the inside out into the image of Jesus. (Metamorphosis in the greek, Strong’s N3339- ( on image - the same, of consummate excellence that shines in Christ) God reproduces the (same) of Christ in the believer). It happens slowly over time ( a process), as we allow the Word of God to shape our thoughts and change our lives. The result of God’s work in our lives is a transformation - an external manifestation of an internal process. It’s a (spiritual) metamorphosis into who God created us to be, ( the image of His likeness), fulfilling all God has called us to do. (1 Peter 1:13-16 MSG) says, “As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled in a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness.” Challenges in life grow us and change us; through them God is developing and preparing you. He is working out a new life in you. Colossians 3:3, “Our lives are hidden in Christ in God.” The chrysalis stage is the time when the butterfly is the most vulnerable. It dangles from a branch and spins a protective cocoon around itself so it can safely rest and digest all the food that’s been consumed in the previous stage. Here is the wonderful part. Though the chrysalis appears unchanged from the outside, yet there is a dramatic transformation taking place inside. 2 Corinthians 5:17, ‘If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away, Behold all things are [becoming] new.” Becoming denotes a process which involves the passing of time. During this time, the body of the caterpillar is slowly dissolving while the previously dormant precursor cells of the emerging butterfly gradually develop, migrate together and create a brand new thing. For the little caterpillar, all things are becoming new and it has no idea what beauty is getting ready to come forth. In my study, I found out that if anything tries to open the cocoon before it is fully developed the transformation process will not take place. So, what value does darkness have in our everyday life? Why does God allow us to go through dark, even vulnerable times in our lives? I found the answer to that question during the years of 2002-2004. I call it ‘the dark night of the soul.’ It proved to be a time when I was very vulnerable to the ‘enemy of my soul,’ Like that little caterpillar, I found myself hanging upside down more than once, and I knew I needed to cling tightly to the Word of God as the caterpillar clung tightly to the branch, in order to win the battle. In the beginning I had no idea what a fight I was in for, but I knew who was on my side. Somewhere in the deep recesses of my soul, I knew God was going to bring me out of all of this, I just didn’t know when. It couldn’t come soon enough. During this time, God led me to a familiar scripture that proved to be sustenance for my life. In Matthew 4: 11 we read about the temptation of Jesus after He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. Verse 4 “man shall not live by bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ Until that moment, I was…..