Deconstruction - or the re-examination of one’s religious beliefs - has become a hot topic in churches lately. Some find it uncomfortable to consider they could be mistaken about their beliefs. Others find it hard to believe they’ve had the Creator of the universe figured out since Sunday school.
So which is it? Is deconstruction dangerous, or a tool that God can use as He molds us into the image of His Son?
I happen to be in favor of re-examination. And not just because Paul encouraged it in 2 Corinthians 13:5. I don’t mean to brag, but I went through deconstruction before it was even a thing. And it was one of the hardest - and most worthwhile - experiences of my life.
Granted, my journey of re-examination may be more radical than most. I was raised by sincere, God-fearing parents who tried to serve the Lord the best they knew how. We belonged to an exclusivist religious community of very earnest people who took their commitment to obedience seriously. We were taught we were the sole remnant of true believers - a thin thread of the faithful winding throughout history. And we believed just as strongly that so-called Christians were heretics. Well-meaning heretics, in some cases, but deceived just the same.
We read the Bible and claimed to have faith in Jesus, but we really put most of our focus and hope in works, like observing a literal sunset-to-sunset Sabbath on the seventh day and celebrating Hebrew festivals. Now, please don’t misunderstand me. There’s no wrong day to worship and glorify God - especially for our Messianic brothers and sisters, who cherish many of these practices out of respect for the Torah and their Jewish heritage. All Scripture, both old and new Testaments, is given for our good. Which means we also can’t ignore Acts 15 and the book of Galatians, which warn that these practices are not required of Gentile believers.
But much like Saul, before he became Paul, I was fully invested. I pressed my university for a Friday afternoon graduation in the name of religious diversity. At work, I negotiated permanent exemptions from the Friday night and Saturday morning shifts. I wrote articles for our church’s youth magazine rejecting worship on Sunday and mainstream Christian holidays. And when my children were born, I raised them with the same observances and traditions. It all reeked of a religious spirit. The same one that came for Jesus. The same one that Paul wrote about to the Galatians.
As the saying goes, “But God…”
Miraculously, the Lord started revealing His truth to my husband and I, simultaneously, but separately. Well, the intervention was miraculous, but the daily walk wasn’t. More than once, I locked myself in the bathroom in tears, praying for the End Times to start before I could fall away from the truth I’d always understood. But in a matter of months, I was crying tears of joy as one of those “well-meaning heretics” preached about grace and forgiveness on Easter Sunday. Many in our former community made up excuses for why we walked away, but there is simply no other explanation than God’s leading. 🚶➡️
I’d like to say the journey was easy, but it wasn’t. It was frustrating to unlearn what I’d been taught since childhood, and turn to those I’d labeled as “heretics” to learn the most basic teachings of Christianity. People I’d known for years shunned me, and relationships were strained with those who didn’t cut all ties. I suffered frequent spiritual attacks. It was humbling, to say the least.
But that posture of humility put me, for the first time in my life, at a low point where I could really understand the Gospel for what it is. It's where I truly placed my faith in Jesus rather than the filthy rags of my own works. And started walking in freedom to build the abundant life He came to bring.
It’s easy to applaud this kind of deconstruction - a Saul-like turn away from ritual and toward the Gospel. Most spiritual journeys don’t come to a radical crossroads. But in reality, we all walk around with misconceptions and misunderstandings about God that we’ve picked up along the way from authority figures - well-meaning or not. 🎒
These misconceptions can create obstacles that prevent us from loving our neighbors the way God intends, or trusting God to be the good Father He is. We don’t need to be afraid of truth. The truth never changes, and can handle itself. What should concern us is letting fear stop us from pursuing Truth, from fully embracing the abundant life God wants for us, and from becoming the daughters He wants us to become.
Does the idea of re-examining your beliefs make you uncomfortable?
Are there areas of your life where your beliefs hold you back from fully loving people or believing God?
Is there anywhere that you feel God leading you to question something you’ve always believed?
-Kristin Yarbrough, Worthy Content Writer
*This is part of our quarterly series: Empowered to Repent. Join our discussion on our social media platforms.
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