Butterflies and Caterpillars

 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:16,17

I was reading something  in a book titled, Classic Christianity by Bob George that struck a chord with me the other day. He was talking about how we walk around defeated because we have failed to recognize who we actually are in Christ. I think there is some truth to this. Sometimes in our efforts not to appear better than anyone else, we walk around like caterpillars instead of the butterflies we are. Who ever heard of a butterfly walking around in the dirt when they could easily fly, in fact, were made to fly?

It's a delicate balance. We want to be accessible, approachable, and still we have to be "in the world but not of it....."Jesus was the master at this.  He was equally as comfortable in His skin in the Temple or at the home of "tax collectors and sinners." Neither atmosphere changed who He was, and yet He made Himself approachable to Chief Priest and Prostitute alike.

While the Apostle Paul was fully aware that he wasn't exempt from falling into sin, and that many times he was unsuccessful in his efforts to do the right thing, he also never forgot who he was in Christ. He didn't live a defeated life! He didn't let his failures keep him from what He knew was sure victory at the end of the race! He kept his eyes on the prize.

We hold within us the power of Almighty God in the form of His Spirit........the same Spirit that moved across the waters before creation.....also the one who raised Jesus from the grave and broke the power of sin and death forever....That Spirit!

We should never forget what Jesus has saved us from, but we should also remember that when we rose up out of that water from Baptism, we became a new creation!

So enjoy your flight today......and as they say on every flight, feel free to move about the cabin.....