A Changed Life

Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

2 Corinthians 5:17

Have you ever read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle? What makes the story fun is reading about the food the caterpillar eats each day. After two weeks he chews his way out, but he’s not a caterpillar anymore. He’s a beautiful butterfly.

Have you seen a caterpillar turn into a butterfly? Maybe your teacher brought a caterpillar into your classroom, and you watched it become a chrysalis and then emerge as a butterfly. The caterpillar that once spent its life on the ground can now fly, bringing a bit of color to the sky.

When you made the decision to follow Jesus, he changed your life. God’s work in making you into a new person is similar to the change that happens to a caterpillar. God knew you before you were born, and you were wonderfully designed by him (see Psalm 139:14). When you were born, you were like the caterpillar. You weren’t yet all God wanted you to be.

But on the day you made the decision to follow Jesus, God took away your sin nature and replaced it with a new nature. He gave you a desire to please him. You became a new person on the inside.

That doesn’t mean that you’ll never be tempted to sin. You will. But God’s Spirit lives within you and gives you the strength to overcome temptation. And if you choose to give in, he’ll nudge your conscience and let you know that what you did was wrong.

Maybe you are still a caterpillar. If you haven’t yet asked Jesus to be your Savior, he’s waiting for you. He wants to take away your sins and change your heart. He will transform you into a beautiful butterfly.

Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar or a book about butterflies to a younger sibling, or read it to yourself. Tell someone you know about the day Jesus changed your heart.