Stage Two: Growth and Appetite

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

Last week in Stage One — When New Life Begins — we reflected on the mystery of God’s grace in our becoming a new creation, as He plants new life within us. Like the butterfly’s egg, that beginning was small yet full of divine potential. We learned that new life in Christ is not the end of the story but the beginning of transformation.

Now, as we continue our Journey to Renewal, we step into Stage Two: Growth and Appetite. The caterpillar reminds us that new life must be nourished. Growth requires feeding, awareness, and the courage to shed what no longer serves our spiritual journey. This stage invites us to examine what we consume - spiritually, emotionally, and mentally - and to choose what truly sustains the life God is forming within us.

Growth and Appetite

When I think of the caterpillar, I picture a creature whose entire existence revolves around appetite. It eats constantly, preparing for the transformation to come. Spiritually, we experience a similar hunger. But what we feed determines what grows.

The Apostle Paul writes:

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would." — Galatians 5:16–17

Sometimes we find ourselves feeding on things that once sustained us but now hinder our progress — old habits, unhealthy thoughts or desires, heavy emotions, or misplaced priorities. Awareness is the first step toward change. We cannot change what we refuse to see or acknowledge; spiritual growth begins with honest reflection. God invites us to examine what we are feeding our bodies and our souls (which includes our minds, hearts, and spirits), and to trust Him to replace worldly cravings and attitudes with spiritual ones. This invitation is not harsh or condemning; it is tender and freeing. God longs to shape our appetites so that what we hunger for begins to match the life He is forming within us.

The caterpillar’s appetite is natural — it must eat to grow (1). Yet not everything we consume leads to growth. Every thought, word, and action is nourishment for either the flesh or the Spirit. The flesh craves comfort, control, and distraction, while the Spirit longs for truth, holiness, and communion with God.

Growth begins when we discern between these appetites and choose what nourishes our soul – the whole inner life God is forming within us.

Jesus spoke to this hunger when He said:

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” — Matthew 5:6

Spiritual hunger is not a sign of lack — it is a sign of life.

The Process of Growth

The caterpillar’s growth is not glamorous. It is slow, repetitive, and often hidden. Yet every moment of feeding and molting prepares it for the next stage.

Likewise, our spiritual growth may feel ordinary or uncomfortable, but God is shaping us through each choice we make.

When we choose prayer over distraction, forgiveness over resentment, right over wrong, and truth over deception or ease, we feed the Spirit within us. Growth is not about perfection — it is about direction. The Spirit leads us forward, even when progress feels small.

Paul encourages us:

“Be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new nature...” — Ephesians 4:23-24

Each act of obedience strengthens our wings for the transformation ahead.

Shedding What No Longer Serves

Growth requires letting go. The caterpillar must shed its old skin to make room for new life. Transformation demands release.

In the same way, spiritual growth requires that we surrender what no longer aligns with God’s purpose — habits, attitudes, patterns, or relationships that keep us stagnant.

This shedding can be uncomfortable. It may mean surrendering pride, forgiving someone who hurt us, or stepping away from patterns that drain our spiritual strength. But every layer we shed brings us closer to freedom.

Jesus described this necessary release:

“Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” — John 15:2

Pruning is not punishment — it is preparation.

Paul understood this process of spiritual molting well. In his letters, he often spoke of “putting off the old self” and “putting on the new” - a shedding of former ways that mirrors the caterpillar’s release of its old skin. His own journey from Saul to Paul was a living example of transformation - once driven by pride and a misguided zeal to persecute others, he became a humble witness and an instrument of God’s grace.

Paul wrote,

“Put off your old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” – Ephesians 4:22-24

Like the caterpillar, Paul learned that growth requires surrender - letting go of what once defined us so that Christ can form something new within. His words remind us that transformation is not a single moment but a continual process of renewal. Each time we shed an old pattern or mindset - "put off" our "old nature" - we make space for the Holy Spirit’s work, preparing for the freedom that awaits in the next stage of our journey.

God does not ask us to change overnight. He invites us to grow daily, trusting that each surrender prepares us for the next stage of transformation.

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Closing Prayer

Dear God,

Thank You for the hunger You place within me -

the desire to grow, to know You more deeply,

and to be transformed by Your Spirit.

Teach me to feed on what nourishes my spirit,

and to turn away from what drains it.

Give me courage to shed old patterns

and strength to walk in obedience.

May my growth be steady and my appetite holy,

so that every part of my being reflects

Your life within me.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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

Questions of Shedding and Becoming

1. What “old skin” - attitudes, fears, or habits - might God be asking you to release?

2. Where do you see God inviting you - like Paul - to “put off the old self” so that something new can grow?

3. What inner shift - in identity, mindset, or posture of the heart - might God be forming in you as you release what no longer fits who you are becoming?

4. What are you feeding your heart, mind, and spirit in this season?

5. How can you cultivate a deeper hunger for the things of the Spirit?

6. Where do you sense God inviting you to grow, even if it feels small or slow?

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Invitation to Return, Reflect, and Pray

As you continue your Journey to Renewal, take time this week to reflect on what you are feeding your spirit. Return to these truths often. Notice what stirs your appetite - what draws you toward God and what pulls you away.

Reflect on the places where God may be inviting you to shed old patterns. Growth is rarely dramatic; it is usually quiet, steady, and hidden. Trust that even in the slow work of transformation, God is preparing you for what comes next.

As you reflect, remember the transformation of the Apostle Paul. His journey reminds us that shedding the old self is not a moment of shame but a movement of grace. God met Paul in the middle of his old patterns and invited him into a new way of being. In the same way, God meets you in your present stage - not with condemnation, but with the gentle invitation to release what no longer fits the person He is forming you to become.

Pray for discernment to recognize what nourishes growth and what hinders it.

Pray for courage to release what no longer serves your spiritual journey.

Pray for a holy hunger - a desire for the things that lead to life.

Your journey is unfolding —

one choice,

one hunger,

one surrender at a time.

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

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Bibliography

1. Life Cycle - Alabama Butterfly Atlas. (2024). Usf.edu. https://alabama.butterflyatlas.usf.edu/lifecycle. Accessed 25 April 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.

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