Stage Four: Renewal and Freedom - part 2

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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.

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 Part 1 of Stage Four, we explored the moment of emergence - the unveiling of God’s work within us and the strength required to rise into newness. Now, in Part 2, we turn our attention to what comes next: living as a new creation and learning to fly.

Transformation is not complete at emergence. It must be lived, practiced, and embodied. The butterfly teaches us that new identity leads to new rhythms, new choices, and new purpose. What God forms in the hidden places is meant to shape how we move through the world.

Living as a New Creation

The butterfly does not return to crawling. It does not go back to the ground it once knew. Its transformation has changed its identity, its purpose, and its way of moving through the world.

In the same way, when God makes us new, He invites us to live differently - not as who we once were, but as who we have become in Christ.

Scripture tells us:

“Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.” - 2 Corinthians 5:17

New creation is not a moment - it is a way of life.

Freedom is not something we simply receive - it is something we learn to walk in.

Transformation is not only internal - it becomes visible in how we live, love, and choose.

The Apostle Paul describes this beautifully. He urges believers to “seek the things that are above,” to “put to death” what belongs to the old nature, and to “put on the new self, which is being renewed” (Colossians 3:1–17). He reminds us that new identity is not passive - it is a daily choosing, a daily clothing of ourselves in the character of Christ, and a daily commitment to do “everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

New identity changes our relationships.

We begin to forgive more freely, love more deeply, and see others through the lens of grace. The Spirit teaches us to respond rather than react, to build rather than tear down, and to pursue reconciliation rather than retreat into old patterns.

New identity changes our choices.

The things that once pulled us toward the ground no longer hold the same power. We begin to choose truth over convenience, holiness over habit, and obedience over impulse.

The Apostle Paul writes:

“Put off your old nature… and put on the new nature.” - Ephesians 4:22–24

He also teaches that “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). His words remind us that new creation is not static; it is a Spirit‑led journey of becoming - a continual unfolding of the freedom Christ has already given us.

New identity changes our purpose.

The butterfly is not transformed for its own sake — it is transformed for flight, for beauty, for impact. Likewise, God renews us so that our lives can reflect His glory and participate in His work.

“For we are [God’s] workmanship… created in Christ Jesus for good works.” - Ephesians 2:10

Peter echoes this calling:

“Live as free men… live as servants of God.” - 1 Peter 2:16

Living as a new creation means embracing the freedom Christ has given us and allowing that freedom to shape every part of our lives. It means rising each day with the confidence that we are no longer defined by who we were, but by who God is forming us to be.

Learning to Fly

Emerging from the chrysalis is only the beginning. A butterfly must learn to fly. Its wings, though fully formed, are soft at first. It must stretch them, strengthen them (1), and trust them. It must practice what it was created to do.

In the same way, stepping into renewal requires practice. Freedom is not mastered in a moment - it is learned over time. We learn to fly by trusting the new work God has done within us and by choosing, day after day, to live from our new identity rather than our old patterns.

Scripture reminds us:

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

Learning to fly means learning new rhythms.

Just as the butterfly adjusts to the wind, the Spirit teaches us to adjust to His leading. We learn to pause when He whispers, move when He nudges, and rest when He invites us to stillness.

Learning to fly means making new choices.

The butterfly no longer crawls because crawling no longer fits its nature. Likewise, the Spirit empowers us to walk away from what once held us and to choose what aligns with who we are becoming.

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” - Galatians 5:25

Learning to fly means embracing new purpose.

A butterfly pollinates as it moves - it carries life wherever it goes. In Christ, our renewed identity shapes our purpose.

“For we are [God’s] workmanship…” - Ephesians 2:10

Learning to fly is not about perfection - it is about trust. It is about taking the next step, stretching the wings God has formed, and believing that the One who renewed you will also sustain you.

Your wings are ready.

Your freedom is real.

And the sky God has prepared for you is wide.

Closing Prayer

My God,

Thank You for making me new.

Thank You for the work You have done in the hidden places

and for the freedom You are calling me to live out in the open.

Clothe me in the new self You have formed within me.

Teach me to put off what no longer belongs to who I am becoming

and to put on the character of Christ with courage and joy.

Renew my mind, reshape my desires, and align my steps with Your Spirit.

Strengthen the wings You have given me.

When fear whispers, steady me.

When old patterns pull, free me.

When newness feels unfamiliar,

remind me that You have already prepared the way.

Help me rise into the life You have designed —

not in my own strength,

but in the power of Your Spirit

who transforms me from glory to glory.

Let my choices reflect Your freedom.

Let my relationships reflect Your love.

Let my purpose reflect Your heart.

And let my life carry the beauty

of the One who has made me new.

I trust You with my becoming.

I trust You with my rising.

I trust You with my flight.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflection Questions for New Identity and Spirit-Led Living(for Devotional Use this week):

Questions of Transformation and Flight

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. What does living as a new creation look like in this season of your life - in your relationships, choices, and inner posture?

2. Where do you sense the Spirit inviting you to “put off the old self” so that your new identity can take deeper root?

3. What inner shift - in trust, desire, or perspective - might God be forming in you as you learn to live from your renewed identity?

4. How does Paul’s teaching on being transformed “from glory to glory” encourage you to trust the ongoing work of the Spirit in your life?

5. What fears or hesitations arise as you learn to “fly” - to live from freedom rather than old patterns?

6. Where do you see signs of new rhythms, new strength, or new purpose emerging as you keep in step with the Spirit?

7. What old patterns no longer fit the person God is forming you to be - and how might releasing them create space for greater freedom?

Invitation to Return, Reflect, and Pray

As you continue your Journey to Renewal, take time this week to reflect on the freedom God is inviting you to live out each day. Return to these truths often. Reflect on the ways God has renewed your identity, strengthened your spirit, and prepared you to rise into the life He has shaped within you.

Pay attention to the new rhythms the Spirit is teaching you.

Pay attention to the choices that reflect your new identity.

Pay attention to the places where God is inviting you to stretch your wings.

Pray for the courage to walk in the freedom Christ has given you:

freedom that transforms your relationships,

guides your choices,

and clarifies your purpose.

Even when stepping into newness feels stretching or unfamiliar, remember:

God has already equipped you for this moment.

Your wings are strong.

Your renewal is real.

Your freedom is secure.

© 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.