Life Transforming Changes
Commentary by Paul Suckling
United Church of God pastor, Worcester, MA and Portsmouth, NH
With turmoil in world financial markets, the most serious question
for each of us to ponder is: How will I emerge from this frightening
situation? It also is an excellent time to assess life beyond just
the financial considerations.
Over the past couple of months I have noticed some captivating
graphics on the covers of the British magazine The Economist.
The cover of September 30, 2008 issue featured a whirlpool with
banks and financial institutions swirling downwards to oblivion.
The caption asked, "What next?"
The October 4th cover, featuring a man looking over the edge of
a crumbling cliff, was captioned: "World on the edge." The
October 11th cover pictured the entire planet dropping out of space
like a stone. The caption was, "Saving the system; the panic,
the rescues and a special report on the world economy."
But it was the October 25th cover that really caught my eye. It
displayed butterflies flapping their wings in flight (obviously
having just emerged from cocoons) as they sought to gain height
and go forward. That cover's caption was: "Into the
storm, What will happen to the emerging economies?" It was
a great graphic that was immensely eye-catching! It visually focused
my attention on the immense crisis currently gripping world's
economy—one that will try the metal of each of us.
Depicting the transformational life cycle of butterflies caught
my particular interest. I can relate more than my financial situation
to that graphic.
Butterflies of the same variety mate and produce eggs. The eggs
hatch into ugly looking caterpillars that crawl around their habitat
munching on leaves.
At a certain point in time each caterpillar spins a cocoon around
itself. Then the transformation from caterpillars to adult butterflies
begins. When this transformation is complete, beautiful adult butterflies
emerge. In their new form they can now fly gracefully, free from
their restricted former habitat. Then they mate and the cycle starts
all over again.
The special foresight of The Economist's graphic
artist is obvious. Our world today is going through a financial metamorphosis, a
word borrowed from the Greek language that effectively captures
this incredible cycle of change.
But we can look forward to a much more promising change, if only
we will pause to consider how it can be made to happen.
The apostle Paul told newly emerging Christians, you can stop conforming
to this world and be "transformed" (metamorphoō in
Greek) "by the renewing of your minds, so that you
may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable
and perfect" (Romans 12:2, New Revised Standard Version).
God wants to transform us by a similar metamorphosis to something
truly wonderful and beautiful—reminiscent of the metamorphosis
of a caterpillar into a butterfly. If we willingly and sincerely
accept His way of life—as taught in the Holy Scriptures (2
Timothy 3:16-17)—He promises to eventually transform our physical
bodies into spirit. This is a much more significant change than
that of a caterpillar's transformation into a butterfly.
Naturally we don't conform to God's ways. As the apostle
Paul explained, "To set the mind on the flesh is death, but
to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason
the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not
submit to God's law—indeed it cannot," (Romans 8:7-8,
NRSV).
Changing our normal, self focused ways—which naturally appear
so right in our human way of thinking (Proverbs 14:12)—to
the ways that are right according to God's word is the initial
part of the metamorphosis that God wants to produce in
us. Therefore He "commands all men everywhere to repent" (Acts
17:30).
Repentance involves discarding old ways and habits by replacing
them with God's revealed way of life. If we respond, He will
work in us, through the power of His Spirit, to transform ourbehavior
and character. He occasionally will test our commitment with challenging
trials, such as financial trials. But at the end of that process,
if we remain faithful, we will, become a new creation (2
Corinthians 5:17)—a Spirit filled son or daughter of God with
proven character and a completely new spiritual body (1 Corinthians
15:51-53; 1 John 3:2-3).
Only time will tell how well the world's economy will emerge
from its crisis. The important question is, will we respond to God
so we can emerge from this physical life into a beautiful new creation—as transformed sons
and daughters of God?
  To find out how God can produce this spiritual metamorphosis in
your life please download, request or read online our free booklets: Transforming
Your Life—the Process of Conversion and What Is Your
Destiny?
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