Who's a Butterfly?

Everyone thinks butterflies are beautiful. Their wings are works of art and their flight is a joy to watch. But have you ever taken a good close look at the body of a butterfly? Eeww! Kinda gross really. Without its wings, a butterly is just a big ugly bug. And yet, when we see a butterfly, we ooh and aah and praise its extraordinary beauty.

Sometimes I'm a butterfly - splendidly arrayed in all my finery, showing the world my best self, but ugly at the center of me. Ugly thoughts sometimes hide beneath my beautiful wings. When I catch myself with these ugly thoughts, I remember that God does not see the outside of me. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (Samuel 16:7) I have been practicing the skill of catching myself when ugly thoughts like jealousy, resentment, anger, and superiority lurk just outside the door of my mind. I do my best to just ignore them out there. But sometimes I hear knocking at the door and I just race to fling it open, without any restraint. I suppose we all do, and I'm not foolish enough to believe that I will never do it again. But by practicing the skill of recognizing my mistake, I can boot those unwanted guests back out the door quick. I can do it by turning my thoughts to Jesus and immediately asking Him to boot them out for me. I can't afford to let them stay for long because they tend to dig in and make themselves at home if I let them. And I don't want to be an ugly bug.