Do you desire a transformation in your life?
He desires to give all of us more! He wants to take us from glory to glory while we are here on this planet. We are all transforming to a new creation every day.
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every kind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Ephesians 4:11-16
The Scripture above talks about the metamorphosis of a young Christian into a mature Christian. It’s a journey that we should all long for. And it’s my mission to light a fire within people to seek this for themselves. When we accept Jesus into our lives, we are like infants. His desire is for us to grow with Him and in Him to become more like Him.
He desires to transform us from the caterpillar to the butterfly.
God has been speaking to me about butterflies the past few months. And this past week, He spoke loudly! In prayer time on Tuesday, He spoke two words to me. Yellow Butterfly. I know that is odd but I’ve learned that He speaks to us in ways that we can each receive and it can be different for each of us. He knows I am a visual person so He often speaks to me visually. I asked Him what “Yellow Butterfly” means and He said “New Beginnings.”
Let me tell you this is powerful! You see on that very day, I started a new program. It is a small group study with prayer as the focus to help each of us shed weight – in the seen and the unseen. We all carry extra “weight” around in this world. For some that could be physical pounds. For others it could be mental pounds in the form of guilt, grief, financial burdens, marital problems, etc. Jesus knows how we tend to carry this weight as if it is ours and ours alone to bear. This is why He told us:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”.
Mathew 11:8-30
So why do we continue to carry our weight?
He desires to give us rest. He does not want us to labor by carrying around extra burdens. For me, my struggle with weight is an area where I’ve always linked hard work and sacrifice to losing. I never viewed it as something that Jesus wants to WILLINGLY and LOVINGLY take for me. I have no problem repenting of sins and asking Him to take them from me. I don’t struggle with holding guilt and shame for past sins because I know that His blood covers all of my sin. However, I never linked the physical “me” with His blood. I never once stopped to think that His grace is sufficient to cover not just my sin but also my struggle with weight.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:9
When a friend pointed out this verse to me and connected it to our physical being, it brought me to my knees. I hope that it speaks to you as well.
His grace is sufficient for all the struggles that we face!
Let me finish my amazing testimony. Recall on Tuesday in my private prayer time, He gave me “Yellow Butterfly” and “New Beginnings.” Two days later in a small group prayer time, a friend was praying and she said that she saw a “Yellow Butterfly” and she said He was telling her it was for “New Beginnings.” She had no way of knowing about my private prayer two days earlier. She spoke what He was telling her and it blew me away. I was unable to do anything more that evening because I was so completely and totally overwhelmed. He spoke directly to my heart telling me that He and He alone will take the extra weight I’ve been carrying. It was as if He was physically in front of me and talking directly to me.
He is taking me from the cocoon and transforming me to become more and more like Him. He wants to do this for you as well. Are you hearing Him speak to you? He longs to talk to each of us intimately as close friends. If you are not hearing Him, let me give you a few suggestions to help you hear Him.
1. Know your identity.
Focus on who you are in Christ Jesus. Meditate upon your identity. Praise Him for your identity and declare it over yourself. You are righteous and holy and pure. You are a son or daughter of the Most High God! You are co-heir with Jesus Himself. He does not view one part of you as ugly or unbecoming. In His eyes, every single inch of you is beautiful. After all, He created you in His image. Don’t forget this important truth!
2. Keep a journal.
Get a notebook and a pen. Write down everything. When song lyrics grip your heart, write them down. When a verse jumps off the page at you, write it down. Write letters to God as if you were writing to a friend. Tell Him your struggles. Tell Him your desires. Don’t hold back. Jot down prayer requests for others. Every day, keep writing. Carry your journal with you. It’s that important.
3. Be still in His Presence.
Find time throughout your day to shut yourself away, even if you have to go to the bathroom and hide, do it. Get before Him and ask Him to show you His goodness. Learn to be still before Him. Quiet your heart and your mind. Focus on His goodness. When other thoughts pop in your head, say something that will help you to get back to being still. I say “Jesus.” I say His name over and over until those distractions go away. With my eyes shut, I do my best to focus on what I think He looks like. I conjure up His face in my head. And I focus on His eyes. This works for me and helps me be still. The more we desire to hear Him, the more He will honor us and speak.
4. Praise Him.
Learn to praise Him often throughout your day. You’ll find yourself thinking of Him more and more when You make Him the center of your thoughts. Praise Him with singing, writing, prayer. Learn what type of praise resonates most with your heart and don’t ever stop doing it.
We are all on a journey from the cocoon to the butterfly.
It doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and devotion. If you want to hear clearly from Him, start today. It is hard to put to words what it is like when He speaks so clearly as He did for me this week. I want to light a fire within each of you to experience this for yourself. He wants us to live on earth as it is in Heaven! It starts in our quiet time with Him.
Allow Him to transform You into His likeness.
Stay in the Light and the Love always,
Eva
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