One day a man found the cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through the little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and could go no further.So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly expecting that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would surely contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It was never able to fly.
What the man in his kindness—and haste—did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening was God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as we could have been and we could never fly. Sometimes in the momentary struggle or trial we fail to see the bigger picture and the handiwork of God in working all things together for our good. He will not allow us to endure more than we can bear. Let us press forward and prepare to fly when the Lord returns!
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete,
not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4 NIV).
The man continued to watch the butterfly expecting that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would surely contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It was never able to fly.
What the man in his kindness—and haste—did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening was God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as we could have been and we could never fly. Sometimes in the momentary struggle or trial we fail to see the bigger picture and the handiwork of God in working all things together for our good. He will not allow us to endure more than we can bear. Let us press forward and prepare to fly when the Lord returns!
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete,
not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4 NIV).
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