Candy Corn Faith
A Sweet Reminder That God Is Still Working on Me
There is something about fall that makes me want to pull out all the orange, yellow, and cream-colored craft supplies. Pumpkins begin appearing on porches, leaves start changing colors, and suddenly candy corn seems to be everywhere. Now, I know candy corn is one of those candies that people either love or absolutely refuse to eat! I’m one of those that refuse to eat because they give me a headache…anyone else? But whether you grab a handful every October or happily leave the bowl for someone else, that little piece of candy can give us a beautiful picture of our Christian walk.
When I first started thinking about using candy corn for Bible journaling, I found several ideas that assigned a spiritual meaning to each of its three colors. I loved that idea, but the more I thought about it, the more I began thinking about the candy corn itself. Candy corn doesn't begin looking anything like the finished piece. It has to go through a process. The ingredients are mixed and heated, and then the familiar colors are added in layers until eventually what began as separate ingredients becomes something recognizable.
Isn't that a little like our Christian lives?
When we give our lives to Christ, God begins a work in us, but He doesn't finish that work overnight. We are a work in progress, and thankfully, our Heavenly Father isn't finished with us yet. Philippians 1:6 gives us this beautiful promise:
God Begins the Work
I love the words “that He who began.” They remind us of something we can so easily forget: God is the One who began the work in us. Sometimes we put tremendous pressure on ourselves to become the Christian we think we ought to be. We tell ourselves that we should pray more, know more Scripture, have more faith, struggle less, or somehow be farther along in our walk with God than we are right now.
Philippians 1:6 reminds us that spiritual transformation isn't something we manufacture on our own. God begins the work, God continues the work, and God promises to complete the work. Our part is to remain close to Him, surrender to His leading, spend time in His Word, and allow the Holy Spirit to continue shaping us.
Just like that little piece of candy corn, our faith is being developed layer by layer.
Yellow — Jesus Is My Foundation
When I look at a traditional piece of candy corn, the yellow section at the bottom is the widest part. I like to think of that layer as the foundation, because everything in our Christian life must begin with Jesus Christ.
Our foundation isn't how many Bible studies we've completed, how often we attend church, how much we serve, or even how much Scripture we've memorized. Those are all wonderful parts of growing in our faith, but they aren't our foundation. Jesus is.
When life feels uncertain, we return to our foundation. When our feelings tell us one thing and God's Word tells us another, we return to our foundation. When we don't understand what God is doing or what comes next, we can stand firmly on the truth of who Jesus is and what He has done for us. Even when we stumble, our foundation remains secure because our faith rests in Christ and not in our ability to get everything right.
For the yellow layer of our candy corn, let's remember: Jesus Is My Foundation.
Orange — God Is Transforming Me
Then we come to that big orange center, and I think this may be the layer I relate to the most. I like to call it the messy middle, because that's where most of us spend much of our Christian lives. We have trusted Christ, but we haven't arrived. We love Jesus, but sometimes we still worry. We know God is faithful, yet there are moments when we struggle to trust Him. We want to respond to others with grace and patience, but occasionally something very different comes out of our mouths!
We belong to Christ, but we are still being transformed.
Transformation is a process, and God uses so many different things to accomplish it. He uses His Word, prayer, worship, other believers, serving others, and the quiet prompting of the Holy Spirit. He can also use disappointment, waiting, mistakes, difficult circumstances, and seasons we never would have chosen for ourselves.
That brings me back to the process of making candy corn. The ingredients don't remain as they were when the process began. They are mixed, heated, shaped, and formed. Sometimes our spiritual growth can feel a little like that. There are seasons when life feels mixed up, times when we feel the heat of difficult circumstances, and periods when we wonder why God is allowing us to wait.
We may find ourselves asking, “Lord, what are You doing?” Yet perhaps in those moments we need to remember that He is still working. We don't always have to understand the process to trust the One who is doing the work.
Think for a moment about the person you were a year ago, five years ago, or even ten years ago. Can you see places where God has changed you? Perhaps you're more patient than you once were, or you're learning to pray before reacting. Maybe you're beginning to forgive something you once thought you could never forgive, or you're finally learning to trust God with something you've held tightly for years. Those changes may seem small, but don't overlook them. They are evidence that God is at work.
For the orange layer, let's remember: God Is Still Working on Me.
White — Point Them to Jesus
Finally, we come to that little white tip at the top of the candy corn. I especially love this part because the tip points upward, and that gives us a wonderful reminder of what our transformed lives should ultimately do: point people toward Jesus.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Notice that Jesus didn't say people should look at our lives and think about how wonderful we are. Our lives should cause people to look beyond us and see our Heavenly Father.
As God transforms us, the evidence of His work should begin showing up in the way we live. Our kindness can point to Jesus. Our generosity can point to Jesus. The way we respond to disappointment can point to Jesus. The way we love someone who is difficult to love can point to Jesus. Even our creativity can point to Jesus.
Sometimes the most powerful testimony isn't what we say when everything is going well; it's the way we continue trusting God when life is hard. Someone may be watching how you walk through a difficult season and quietly realize, “There is something different about her faith.” Without even knowing it, your life may be pointing someone toward Christ.
Second Corinthians 3:18 describes believers as being changed into the image of Christ “from glory to glory.” It's a beautiful picture of gradual transformation. Little by little, layer by layer, and day by day, God is making us more like Jesus.
For the white layer, let's remember: Point Them to Jesus.
We Need All the Layers
Here's something else I noticed about candy corn: take away one of those familiar layers, and it doesn't quite look like candy corn anymore. The layers belong together, and I think there's a beautiful spiritual picture in that as well.
Christ is my foundation. God is transforming me. My life points to Jesus.
These aren't simply three stages we complete and check off a list. They continue throughout our lives. We keep returning to our foundation in Christ. We keep allowing God to transform our hearts. And as He changes us, our lives increasingly reflect Him to the people around us.
There will always be another lesson to learn, another area to surrender, another opportunity to trust, and another place where God wants to make us more like Jesus. That's one reason Philippians 1:6 gives me so much hope. God didn't save us and then leave us to figure out the rest on our own. The same God who began the work has promised to continue it.
That means our unfinished places don't surprise Him.
Life Is Sweeter When We Grow Together
There's one more little lesson I think we can find in our candy corn. You almost never see one lonely piece of candy corn sitting in a bowl. There's usually a whole bunch of them together! That reminds me that our Christian walk was never intended to be completely solitary.
Hebrews 10:24–25 encourages believers to gather together and encourage one another. We need people who will pray with us, remind us of God's truth when we've forgotten, celebrate what God is doing in our lives, and lovingly encourage us when we're struggling. At the same time, God gives us opportunities to be that person for someone else.
Maybe that's another sweet reminder we can take from our bowl of candy corn: Life is sweeter when we grow together.
God Isn't Finished Yet
Maybe you're in a beautiful season right now where you can clearly see what God is doing in your life. Or maybe you're right in the middle of the messy orange layer. Things feel mixed up, you're feeling the heat, you're waiting for answers, and you can't see how all the pieces could possibly fit together.
Remember your candy corn.
God is still adding layers. Your story isn't finished, and neither is His work in you.
The same God who saved you is still shaping you.
The same God who called you is still teaching you.
The same God who carried you through yesterday will be faithful tomorrow.
So instead of looking at yourself and thinking, “I should be farther along by now,” perhaps today you can simply pray, “Lord, thank You for continuing to work in me. I trust You with every layer.”
Because He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.
Closing Prayer:
Father, thank You for beginning a good work in me and for patiently continuing that work day after day. Keep Jesus as the foundation of everything I do. Transform the places in my heart that still need to become more like Him, and let my words, actions, creativity, and life point others toward You. When I become discouraged with the process, remind me that You are still working. I trust You with every layer. In Jesus' name, Amen.