Set Free: 21 Day Devotional: Day 10

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17  NIV

Have you ever met someone who is full of joy and living free from shame and regret and find out later about their dark past or event in their life?  Do you wonder to yourself, “How can they be so content and have such freedom with such a history?” The answer is simple. They have been set free from the burden of their past because they are no longer bound to it. Their transformation has set them free.  2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” Becoming a new creation does not mean Christians are just better versions of their old selves. It means we are completely transformed from the inside out, getting a fresh start and a new identity.

We often use the beautiful imagery of the caterpillar transforming into a butterfly to describe this process. However, we often overlook the “goo” stage - the transformative process that lies in between. This is the stage where the caterpillar has no form, no shape, it is just goo. Many times, in our lives, we resist this stage. We want to go from caterpillar to instantly be the butterfly, but this process is important. We must be so transformed that we no longer bear our image, but the image of Christ, and that only happens when we allow ourselves to embrace the formless parts of our lives. This is the process where God is forming us into His image.

This transformation requires courage and a willingness to trust God, even when we don’t have all the answers.  It’s the realization that being in Christ means allowing ourselves to be molded into something new - a new creation that is beautiful and free.

God, please show me the places I have hidden away in the dark.  Reveal those things that hinder me from being free.  I surrender to your will and allow the process of transformation in my life.  I am willing to be “goo” for a moment in order to be free at last.  

May your prayer be the place where you trust God and where your faith is greater than your fear.