Have you ever studied what happens inside of a cocoon? It’s amazing to me the parallels we find in nature to the spiritual truths God shares with us. Caterpillars go through an incredible metamorphosis in those cocoons, and so it is with us.
Biblical Principles of Transformation
A Study of the Cocoon
Have you ever studied what happens inside of a cocoon? It’s amazing to me the parallels we find in nature to the spiritual truths God shares with us. Caterpillars go through an incredible metamorphosis in those cocoons, and so it is with us.
Has God invited you to come inside His “specially designed for you” cocoon? If so, be prepared for a very special time of reflection, soul searching, self-examination, and spending time alone with the Writer of your life story. Here is how you can tell if you’re entering a period of transformation:
Principle #1: You go Through a Preparation for the Cocoon
You seem to be shifting in many areas of your life. Relationships, priorities, how you spend your time, and what you spend your time on are being shaken, sometimes to their very core. Gary Collins defines it this way; “Here is a withdrawal time for reflection, soul searching, self-examination, pondering core values and beliefs, spending time with God. There may be sadness and loneliness but this is a sabbatical time for spiritual renewal, taking stock of life, moving beyond the past, rethinking one’s identity and slowly getting in touch with new purposes and passions. Sometimes new interests and possibilities emerge, there is new spiritual depth and often a renewed peace and willingness to move forward.” If this describes where you are, let me encourage you to take full advantage of this period in your life because this is where the transformation begins. Don’t be afraid of the loneliness and the feelings of loss – God is doing a new thing in your life.
Principle #2: You find Protection inside the Cocoon
You’re encountering some difficulties and pretty harsh resistance in one or more areas of your life. In the natural, the cocoon is a place of protection, a “place of immunity” if you will from the harsh elements of life. If God has placed you in a cocoon, take advantage of this place of protection by spending extra amounts of time with Him. It will make your problems much, much smaller, and your God much, much bigger! Living inside a God-ordained cocoon can be lonely at times, but you can also experience magical times of refreshing as you take the focus off of your problems, and put your focus on your God.
Principle #3: You go through a Metamorphosis in the Cocoon
You begin to sense the transformation taking place. How? Because as you continue to stay in this place of protection, and you focus on God, and His Whispers to you in the deepest parts of your soul, you’ll find the bad habits and negative thought patterns that have plagued you your whole life seem to start disappearing. The things you were afraid of before, you’re not afraid of now. A metamorphosis is taking place. The little caterpillar is turning into a beautiful butterfly.
Sweet Victory
You know the saying, “a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step”. I’ve heard that so many times in my life and even though I understood it intellectually, I never really got it until I also understood that there were many things in my life that I was never “taking the first step” to accomplish.
God and the Donut Shop
I know…strange title. But this was a strange day. I had been working through a Bible Study on gluttony.
What do You See?
Have you ever wondered how some people who seem to have all kinds of bad things happen to them still maintain a positive outlook on life while others who may have very little wrong in their lives are always depressed and constantly speak only the negative out of their mouths?
