CHASING BUTTERFLIES JOURNALS

Be Different

BY CONNIE VANHORN

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2 NIV).

It can be challenging for Christians to stand boldly against social norms or actions that go against God’s desires. Besides the courage it takes to be different, we may be concerned that we will be perceived as judgmental or not showing the love of Jesus. But what Jesus did for us requires us to boldly and courageously stand up and be transformed.

God desires us to be different! Have you ever stepped back to consider how much our world and culture determine who we are? This is especially true for our younger generation. How do we encourage our younger generation to be different and take on a renewed mind?

After I got saved, I went through a radical transformation. So many things about me changed instantly. I still looked the same and spoke the same, but I was changing on the inside. I often share how the most noticeable transformation was my transformed mind. God knew exactly what parts of my mind needed to change first.

For example, I loved watching television shows after my children went to bed. It was my downtime. I didn’t have a smartphone, so endless late-night scrolling hadn’t invaded my life. Instead, I looked forward to certain shows or watching a good movie. Immediately after being saved, God transformed my mind and removed my desire to watch television. I replaced television with books. I started reading anything and everything about God. God changed my mind and my heart, renewing my mind to find joy in reading and learning more about Him. To this day, I choose reading over television. Actually, I would choose cleaning over television. God was polishing something in me—something to be used for His purpose. Writing. Excellent writers are voracious readers. I didn’t realize I was studying words as I was soaking in God. I hadn’t learned about writing through a college education because I never attended college. Still, God was giving me a gift, and I was determined to use it for Him.

We can trust the work God does in us. It’s not always easy or pain-free, but it’s worth the process. God’s will for us is good and perfect! But only by renewing our minds do we have the ability to test and prove to others what God’s good and perfect will is. Our lives are a living testimony of Jesus for a watching world to see. Only through our renewed mind and transformed life can others see Jesus shine bright!

Be teachable, and Jesus will change you.
Lay down your old life, and He will make you new.

I love the example of the caterpillar. It crawls belly down and is ugly to some; it would never change without the grace of our God. Then, the caterpillar turns into the most beautiful creature of all—a beautiful butterfly that can fly. This transformation is not without process. The caterpillar goes into a state of waiting and being squeezed. And our transformation is not without process, either.

KEEP GOING! AND CLAIM PSALM 51:10! CREATE IN ME A PURE HEART, O GOD, AND RENEW A STEADFAST SPIRIT WITHIN ME (NIV).

Jesus offers us new lives for the old. And He offers wings instead of weak legs. Be teachable, take His offer, and fly.

God says, “I will train you.”

All you need is a willing heart and to be teachable. Jesus wasn’t searching out the most educated or experienced people. He was looking for F.A.T. people…

Faithful.

Available.

Teachable.

To be transformed, we must admit something is wrong and that we need to change. Change is hard and painful, but God is more concerned with our character than He is with our comfort. If we want to be used by God, we must be willing to go through the process. We have to keep going!

KEEP GOING, PRESS ON, AND NEVER GIVE UP.
DO NOT LOSE HOPE AND SERVE THE PURPOSES OF GOD.

Through testing, we gain perseverance. Christ is constantly working in us to transform us to be like Him, and it’s not always pretty. It’s painful, and it takes time. We must learn not to give up even on the days when giving up seems like the best choice.

Perseverance isn’t fun, and sometimes it hurts a lot. However, it is through perseverance that God propels the strong into action.

If you want to build a testimony that God can use, you have to be willing to go through the process. We can’t skip or bypass certain parts.

Never give up until God says it’s time. What you are doing is important. By persevering, you can ensure that God will have the final say. Keep going, press on, and never give up. Do not lose hope and serve the purposes of God.

That’s what being different is all about.