Above and Beneath

In “The Two Lives of a Firefly” there is a parable for us. Did you notice how the larva and beetle live very differently? It reminds me of what Jesus said in John 8:23: “Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.” Who was Jesus talking to? The Pharisees and others who didn’t believe that Jesus was God’s Son. God had sent Jesus from heaven to show them His love and give them power to become children of God (John 1:12). But they didn’t believe that He had power to save them from their sins, so of course they couldn’t get much help.

You see, people who live “from beneath” only believe things that they can see and feel. Sort of like the firefly larva—they crawl around with their own ideas of what they want to do and what they think is right. That is how all of us start out. Thinking that what we know and what we want is what life is all about. The Bible calls this “our natural man”* (1 Corinthians 2:14) because that is how we naturally are. But just as God meant for firefly larva to turn into beetles, God sent Jesus so that we can be changed into new creatures, too.

What kind of life will you live if you believe in Jesus and are born “of the Spirit,” as John 3 describes it? Well, for one thing you won’t just be thinking of yourself any more. If you realize how much God loves you then you will want to please Him. Just like the firefly beetles live up in the air and sunshine, God gives us spiritual life so that you can live up in “the heavenly places with Christ Jesus.”* (Ephesians 2:6) Instead of crawling around with your own problems and bad attitudes all day (just imagine them as slimy slugs and earthworms!), you can spend time listening and talking with Jesus. Soon you will learn how to “fly” by faith. That means you will trust God’s power and love to take care of you, rather than your own hands and feet. And then you will have a testimony to share of what God is doing in your life, just like the fireflies flash their lights in the darkness!

So what life are you living today? Jesus said, “Ye shall die in your sins”* (John 8:24) to those that were living to please themselves and didn’t believe in His power to change them. That is a very sad ending, because it means always being separated from God in hell (John 1:12). How much better to be transformed by Jesus and receive spiritual wings and a light to shine! Then you can always live in God’s joy and peace.