Stage Four: Renewal and Freedom - part 1

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If you are joining the Journey to Renewal for the first time, welcome. This devotional series unfolds week by week, guiding you through the process of becoming a new creation in Christ. Each stage builds gently on the last, leading you step by step through the transformation God is forming within you. To begin the Journey as it was designed, I encourage you to start with the first reflection - Becoming a New Creation in Christ.

Special Note: As we walk through this tender topic, I want to invite you to honor your own boundaries. Sometimes, God invites us to step into difficult spaces, but sometimes He invites us to step into safe, professional care. If this conversation feels overwhelming rather than enlightening, I strongly encourage you to speak with a therapist or counselor. I am just a fellow Christian sharing my story and writings, not a licensed professional, and I want to ensure you are safe and supported.

Introduction

In Stage Three -The Chrysalis: Surrender and Hidden Work — we reflected on the sacred stillness of the chrysalis. We learned that surrender is not passive but an act of courageous trust, and that God often does His deepest work beneath the surface - strengthening our character, healing our wounds, renewing our minds, and preparing our hearts for the calling ahead. Though hidden and quiet, that season of surrender was not wasted. It was the holy ground where transformation took root.

Now, as we continue our Journey to Renewal, we step into Stage Four: The Butterfly - Renewal and Freedom. This is the moment when what was once hidden becomes visible, when what was forming in the dark emerges into the light. The butterfly reminds us that God’s work in us is not only internal - it is meant to be lived out. Renewal leads to freedom, and freedom leads to flight.

This first part of Stage Four focuses on emergence - the moment of rising - and the strength required to step into newness.

Renewal and Freedom

The butterfly’s emergence is a picture of resurrection - new life breaking forth from what once seemed still and sealed. The creature that enters the chrysalis is not the same as the one that emerges (1). What once crawled now flies. What once clung to the earth now rises on wings designed for the sky.

In our spiritual lives, renewal works the same way. When God brings us through seasons of surrender, He does so to lead us into freedom. Renewal is not simply about being changed - it is about being released. Released from old patterns. Released from old wounds. Released from the limitations of who we once were.

Scripture tells us:

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” - Galatians 5:1

This freedom is not the absence of struggle - it is the presence of the Spirit empowering us to live differently. It is the freedom to walk in truth, to choose holiness, and to live unbound by the weight of our past.

Jesus Himself said:

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” - John 8:36

Christian freedom is not self‑expression; it is Spirit‑empowered transformation. It is not doing whatever we want; it is becoming who we were created to be. It is not independence; it is dependence on the One who renews us from the inside out.

Paul describes this freedom as a liberation from the old order of brokenness:

“…the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” - Romans 8:21

And Peter echoes the same truth:

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life.” - 2 Peter 1:3

The butterfly teaches us that transformation is meant to be lived, not hidden. Renewal leads to freedom, and freedom leads to flight.

The Strength to Rise

When a butterfly emerges from the chrysalis, it must struggle. The pushing, the pressing, the slow unfolding of its wings - this effort is essential. Without the struggle, the wings would never strengthen. Without resistance, the fluid inside the body would never be forced into the wings. Without pressure, the butterfly would never fly.

The very thing that feels like opposition is what prepares it for freedom.

In the same way, the freedom God calls us into often requires strength. Strength to step out of what is familiar. Strength to walk in new patterns. Strength to trust that the wings He has formed in us are ready to carry us.

The struggles we face after seasons of surrender are not signs of weakness — they are signs of strengthening. They are the spiritual resistance that builds the muscles of faith.

God uses these moments to teach us how to rise.

How to trust.

How to move in the newness He has given us.

Isaiah captures this beautifully:

“They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles...”- Isaiah 40:31

The butterfly does not emerge fully ready. It must learn to stretch its wings, test the air, and trust the strength that has been forming in secret. Likewise, we must learn to live in the freedom God has given us.

When the Apostle Paul finally emerged from his ‘hidden’ place (refer to Stage Three), he spoke boldly of the freedom and newness found in Christ — a freedom not rooted in self‑effort, but in the Spirit’s power, specifically stating, “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” and that we “are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). Paul’s journey reminds us that the strength to rise does not come from striving, but from the transforming work God has already done within us.

Renewal is not fragile - it is resilient.

It is the evidence of God’s faithfulness woven into our becoming.

So if you feel the pressure of stretching into something new…

If you feel the weight of stepping into a life that looks different than the one you left behind…

If you feel the resistance of old patterns trying to pull you back…

Take heart.

This is not failure.

This is formation.

You are not breaking down — you are breaking through.

You are not falling apart — you are unfolding.

You are not going backward — you are rising.

The struggle is not a sign that something is wrong.

It is a sign that something new is being born.

The wings God has given you are strong enough.

The freedom He has called you into is real enough.

The renewal He has formed within you is powerful enough.

This is your moment to rise.

Closing Prayer

God,

Thank You for the renewal You are forming within me.

Give me strength to rise into the freedom You have prepared.

Help me trust the wings You have shaped

through seasons of surrender and struggle.

Teach me to see resistance not as a setback

but as strengthening.

Give me courage to step into newness with confidence,

knowing You have equipped me for this moment.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflection Questions for Renewal and Rising (for Devotional Use this week):

Questions of Freedom and Emergence

I encourage you to record your answers in a private journal. This will allow you to track your growth as you walk through your transformation.

1. Where do you sense God inviting you to rise into something new — even if it feels unfamiliar or stretching?

2. What struggles or pressures in your life might actually be strengthening you for the freedom God is forming within you?

3. What inner shift — in trust, identity, or courage — might God be shaping in you as you step into renewal?

4. How does Paul’s emergence into Spirit‑empowered freedom encourage you to trust the newness God is forming in your own life?

5. What fears or old patterns try to pull you back as you rise into newness?

6. Where do you see signs of new strength, resilience, or spiritual maturity unfolding within you?

7. What “old ground” is God inviting you to leave behind so you can walk in the freedom He has prepared?

Invitation to Return, Reflect, and Pray

As you continue your Journey to Renewal, take time this week to reflect on the strength God is forming within you. Return to these truths often. Notice the places where you feel resistance - not as obstacles, but as invitations to grow stronger.

Reflect on the ways God is preparing you to rise.

Reflect on the newness He is calling you into.

Reflect on the wings He has been forming in the quiet places of surrender.

Pray for courage to trust the wings He has shaped in you.

Pray for discernment to recognize the moments of emergence.

Pray for boldness to rise, even when it feels unfamiliar.

Your emergence is not accidental.

Your strength is not imagined.

Your freedom is not fragile.

God is preparing you for flight.

© 2026 Brenda Wheeler / Brenda Wheeler Ministries All rights reserved.

Bibliography:

1) National Geographic. (n.d.). Butterfly emergence. https://nationalgeographic.com. Accessed April 24-27, 2026.

All quotes from the Bible (excluding linked passages) are from: Revised Standard Version. Bible Gateway, https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/Revised-Standard-Version-RSV-Bible. Accessed 24-27 April 2026.