Butterfly on Fire

 

‘Butterfly on Fire’ is a piece I painted in 2023. Butterflies symbolically represent transformation and change. There are two meanings to the “fire” part of this painting.

Inspired by the colours of the monarch and the painted lady butterflies, with orange colours, ‘Butterfly on Fire’ primarily represents someone going through a change when God’s fire is upon that person. In fact, when God’s Holy Fire falls on someone, every form of impurity burns away, whether it’s in terms of character, attitude, perceptions and ways of thinking, anything that is not of God will be burnt away. That goes without saying that things like pride, hidden sins and lust will also be burnt away. God is Holy. Jesus in Revelation 3: 15,16 says I wish you were hot or cold, and not lukewarm. A believer of Jesus will be hot and not lukewarm if that person is someone who yields to God continuously.

I believe that the first step to be on fire for God is to come to a place of complete surrender. It takes humility to acknowledge our need for God, it takes repentance, and submission of oneself to God, where one yields completely to Him for Him to have His way. Related to this “submission” is reverence, and awe of God. Revering God opens our hearts to God’s holy work in us.

“Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. “ For our God is a consuming fire.”” – Hebrews 12: 28, 29

 

This painting represents a believer under God’s fire burning bright in a dark and perverse generation. On many occasions I have found that whether during corporate worship, or in the secret place (alone time with God), the Holy Spirit moves, and His power is so potent God’s fire is so evident.

John the Baptist describes how Jesus baptises us with Holy Spirit and fire.

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. / His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” - Matthew 3:11-12 (Also see Luke 3:16-17).

The Bible calls us to not stifle or quench the Holy Spirit.

“Do not quench [subdue, or be unresponsive to the working and guidance of] the [Holy] Spirit.” – I Thessalonians 5: 19 [AMP]

 

The following passages describe God as a consuming fire, and descriptions of Jesus with fire in His eyes.

“And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountaintop in the eyes of the Israelites.” - Exodus 24:17

“For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” - Deuteronomy 4:24

“The hair of His head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a blazing fire. ” - Revelation 1:14

"He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows." - Revelation 19:12

There are many other verses in the Bible that describe God’s presence as consuming fire.

See: Deuteronomy 9:3, Isaiah 33:14, Malachi 3:2-3, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8, Psalm 97:3, Isaiah 30:27-30, Nahum 1:6. 

 

The secondary meaning of the “fire” or heat in the painting is the hardships of life that builds patience and character – thus a process of change in a person. This also takes a lot of humility to go through “heat” and come out pure. James talks about letting endurance work in your character. When you’re in the process of change, everything is uncomfortable. Even breathing seems like something that can only happen through God’s grace. Yet this painting of a butterfly is like a snapshot of a stunning image of someone going through the heat while emitting God’s light despite their surroundings looking dark and gloomy.

It’s that process of purification – when one goes through the heat that there is transformation. Romans 12 urges believers to not follow the thinking patterns of the world, but to instead be transformed with renewed minds with things of God. It’s a necessity to stay transformed by God’s Word so that we may live transformed lives that align with God’s will.

 

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” – Romans 12: 1,2 [NIV]

James 1:4 mentions that having patience and endurance in character develops faith. 

“And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.” – James 1: 4 [AMP]

I Corinthians 3: 13- 15 states that a Christian’s work will be tested through fire. This speaks on a believer’s faith, character and work in the Lord. I Peter 1:6, 7 also refer to this.

“his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work. / If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. / If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as if through the flames.” 1 Corinthians 3:13-15

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." -1 Peter 1:6, 7

 

Yes, walking in the heat is tough. In other words, carrying your cross and following Jesus costs. Yet through the “suffering” there is joy. Through the hardships there is maturing of your faith. May you also be ever-changing and transforming into God’s perfect will. That is to say that in your walk with Christ may you be imitators of God as dearly loved children. May your character become like Jesus the more you walk and spend time with Him. May you always stay ‘hot’ in the Lord and not lose your first love for Him. May you like the painting be always on fire for Jesus.