Devo 3: Spread Your Wings and Fly!

(I have been asked to write a couple of devotionals for our church and thought I'd include them on this site. Enjoy!)

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” (Col. 3:1)

After we are saved, there is a great temptation to think about and feel guilty over our pasts. But Jesus does not want us to be consumed by the condemning thoughts of our former lives. We have been raised out of our sin. Christ desires for us to focus all our thoughts on Him, see Him as the Savior who sits high upon Heaven’s throne, reflect upon His goodness towards us, and enjoy the new life that He has now given us.

Look at a butterfly. Its colors are radiant; its wings glisten in the sun as it dances through the air, gracefully gliding to and fro. It flies so joyfully and freely as if it were singing to the music of its own inner song. But the butterfly was not always so beautiful. In fact, it was the farthest from anything desirable or pleasant. It began its life as a worm. A squishy, slimy larva that oozed its way up and down plant stems, feasting on dirt and grime. But do you think the butterfly reflects on those days? Certainly not! It has been completely transformed into a new creation; it will never be a worm again! It spends its time soaring in beautiful array, feasting on the sweet pollen of elegant flowers!

The same happens when we ask Jesus to take over our lives. We are completely recreated in Christ as a new creature[1]! We are not who we were before we met Jesus. We are reborn, sanctified, and made anew by the Blood of Christ[2]! Can you imagine a butterfly, as beautiful as it is, staying on the ground, never spreading its wings, and continuing to eat the grime of its former life? Then how can we, the righteousness of God in Christ[3], possibly try to “relive” in our minds the old ways of our flesh? We are no longer those people and will never be again! We are dead to sin and alive to Christ Jesus[4]!

Stop thinking about your past. Look to the Christ of your present. Take your example from the butterfly; spread your wings and fly!



[1] 2 Cor. 2:15
[2] 1 Cor. 6:11
[3] 2 Cor. 5:21
[4] Rom. 6:11