Abundantly Alive

 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade.” (1 Peter 1:3-4)

Yesterday was the first day of spring. Spring, I think, is my favorite season. Bushes, shrubs, and trees erupt in an amazing display of color as their flowers come to full bloom. The bright green of the delicate new leaves on the trees contrasts beautifully against the cloudless blue skies on a cool spring morning. 

Birds are aflutter with activity, building nests and feeding their young. 

In the early spring, you can even enjoy the outdoors without worrying about mosquitos. That, in itself, is reason enough to move spring to the top of the list!

The contrast between the colorful and abundant new life of spring and the drab gray of winter is so very dramatic. It’s one way that God lets us know that death is not the final word, but life. 

I think one reason I love spring so much is because the move from the dead and dormant winter to the lively and vibrant spring is very much akin to what happens in my heart with Jesus. Jesus enlivens me. Jesus fills me with joy and meaning and purpose. Jesus motivates me to share his beauty and majesty with the world in which I live.

“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Romans 6:4)

 

When I see the azaleas covered in pink and white and red, adorning the landscape with their loveliness, I remember that Jesus has so transformed my own heart, and inspires me to live in such a way as to manifest his grace and mercy.

When I see the birds feeding their young, I remember that Jesus nurtures me with his love, and I am stirred to share his love with all whom I encounter, especially the helpless and vulnerable ones.

When I see the bees and butterflies flitting about from flower to flower, I remember that Jesus has called me, not to hoard his goodness, compassion, and love, but to spread it about liberally and unconditionally.

The beauty and glory of spring – especially on the heels of the dreary and dismal cold and gray of winter – fill me with gratitude that God is about the business of making us alive. 

Truly, abundantly alive.

Reflecting Jesus

“...you have stripped off the old self with its practices  and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator." (Colossians 3:9b-10)

Nearly every year over the past 25 years, my family has vacationed to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. There’s something about the majesty of the mountains, the breath-taking rigors (literally) of high altitude hiking, and the cool mountain air that draws us back year after year. 

That, and the fact that my family has a cabin out there. Can you blame us for wanting to wake up to this view every morning?

One of the things that we enjoy is going to some of the lakes in the park. Some of them are hiking destinations, but a few are lakes to which people can drive, park, and simply walk around the perimeter. We like to go in the early morning or the late afternoon, when the masses of people aren’t there. 

I love taking pictures of mountain landscape reflections in the lakes. It’s as if simply appreciating the mountain view isn’t enough – with the reflection, we get double the beauty.

Of course, if there are clouds, or if it’s windy, or if someone throws a rock into the lake, then the reflection isn’t as good. 

But every once in a while – usually around sunrise and just before sunset – the water is as smooth as glass. Here’s one of my favorites:

The reflection in this one is so good, you may not have realized that the picture is actually upside down!

All this discussion about reflections has given me pause to reflect: How well do I (we) reflect the grace, mercy, love, and glory of Jesus in my (our) life? I mean, as one who follows Jesus, shouldn’t people see something of Jesus in me? And if I’m more and more intentional about living like Jesus, shouldn’t my life reflect Jesus more and more?

As it says in Genesis,

“Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness’… So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:26a, 27)

Of course, the image of God in us was corrupted by our sin. But it’s still there, and we should still be able to reflect something of that in our lives. And the truth is, Christ has redeemed us and made us into new creations; so we should be able to manifest more and more of Jesus in our lives.

Not long ago I was reading a book by a guy named Scott Sauls. (The book is Jesus Outside the Lines, and it’s about looking for ways that Christ-followers can relate to one another respectfully when everyone else is demanding that we choose sides and vilify anyone who is not on “our side”). In the book, he said this: “Even though all fall short, there is still a lot of truth, beauty, and goodness that come into the world through the people of Jesus. None reflect Christ perfectly, but many reflect him still.” (p. 123)

“None reflect Christ perfectly, but many reflect him still...” I agree. Completely.

I think one of the things I need to do (and you do as well, if you’re honest), is look at things that blur the image of Christ in me. What are the “gusts of wind,” or the “cloudy skies,” or the “stone thrown into the lake,” that distort what people will see of Jesus when they see me? 

Paul (you know, the guy who wrote most of the New Testament) says, “...you have stripped off the old self with its practices  and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator.” Right before he says this, he lists some of the “old self” that distorts the image in which we are created, including sexual immorality, impurity, lust, greed, anger, malice, filthy language, lying, and some other things.

I confess: I have lusted (but so did Jimmy Carter, and he was President); I get angry; I mutter under my breath, and I’m not saying “golly gee”. And I’ve done a lot of other things that the Bible says I shouldn’t do.

And so have you. All of us have.

I don’t want to dwell on those things, though. I simply want to say that any of these things, when we manifest them in our lives, put a blemish on the image of Jesus Christ. And I don’t want to tarnish Jesus, not if I can help it. In this life, I’ll never be able to reflect Christ perfectly; none of us will. But my prayer is that I can, through my life, offer others more and more of the goodness, beauty, and love of Jesus.

I hope I can do that, every day.

Butterflies and Faith, Part 1

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

So, if you follow me on Instagram (@RevSHW) or Facebook you will probably have some inkling that I like butterflies. Maybe it’s because I have posted 46 pictures of butterflies and moths in the past four months. Though no one says it directly to me, I’m pretty sure that some of y’all wish I would move on from butterflies to something else.

But I can’t. 

Because I am fascinated with butterflies (and moths, as long as they are outside the house and not eating my clothes).

Butterflies are beautiful.

And butterflies reflect some wonderful things about my faith. On this post, I will share one of the chief truths of which butterflies constantly remind me: New life.

Butterflies (and moths, too) don’t begin as butterflies. They begin as eggs, which hatch as caterpillars, which form chrysalises; and the creature that emerges from the chrysalis is a beautiful butterfly. 

I mean, how awesome is it that God takes something that looks like this: 

Black Swallowtail caterpillars. Younger ones on the right; mature on the left.

...and transforms it into something like this:

Just a beautiful Black Swallowtail butterfly

#amiright?!

Now, some consider the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly as a metaphor for the resurrection. And I understand why they do that, because it’s as if something has risen from the dead.

Only, butterflies don’t rise from the dead. They emerge as a new creation. The DNA of a caterpillar and the DNA of the emergent butterfly are identical. But one would never say that a caterpillar and a butterfly are identical.

And that’s why, for me, the transformation of a butterfly from a caterpillar is more like the new life we experience in Christ. The apostle Paul says, “Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old has gone, and the new has come!” 

Here’s the way I look at it: I was Steve Wilkins (or Stephen, according to my family) before I embrace Jesus in all his grace and mercy; and I am Steve Wilkins (or Stephen, according to my family) ever since I embraced Jesus in all his grace and mercy. My DNA hasn’t changed. But I have changed, because one cannot dwell with Jesus and not be changed, transformed.

The truth is, Jesus does an amazing work in our hearts. He fills us with hope. He assures us of his unconditional love. He cleanses us of our sin. He is the source of joy in our lives. He points us to the two great commands: to love God with our whole being, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

A heart indwelt by Jesus is a beautiful thing, indeed.

The next time you see a butterfly, take time to appreciate its beauty, and then let this sink in: “Wow, what God has done with that butterfly, is really like what God has done with me through Christ.”

Indeed, whoever is in Christ is a new creation. 

Recycle Me

“Whoever is in Christ is a new creation; the old has gone, and the new has come!”(2 Corinthians 5:17)

The recycling department of the City of Clinton (North Carolina) is located a few blocks down the street from our house. On the wall facing the street there are three murals made of discarded plastic containers. This prayer is inspired by those murals.

Recycle Me

I offer my life to you, O Lord.

It's not much, I know. I got the sin in me.

I'm not exactly perfect. Not even close, really.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm any good at all.

Still, I offer myself to you. As a living sacrifice.

Take me, I pray, and use me for your glory.

You are the God who makes all things new.

You take us as we are, but you don't leave us that way.

Your specialty is transformation.

You take broken and sinful humans,

and you make us new creations.

Recycle me, Lord.

Re-use me.

Renew me.

Make me part of something beautiful.

I offer my life to you, O Lord.

Use me, for your glory.

Amen.