Deconstructing one’s faith is a hot topic on social media right now. While it is easy to brush it off as justification for leaving Christianity, it is important to stop and ask ourselves if some of the things being said might be true.
“Wouldn’t listening to their arguments just put doubt in peoples’ minds and turn them away from truth?”
Not necessarily. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines deconstruction as “the analytic examination of something (such as a theory) often in order to reveal its inadequacy.” There are two points to consider in light of this definition:
1. Analytic examination – Christians should be examining their faith and beliefs and checking to see if those beliefs are aligned with scripture. In Acts 17:11, the Bereans “…were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things [which Paul and Silas taught] were so.”
As Christians, we ought to be searching the scriptures daily and seeing whether the things we believe and the things we are taught are true. What beliefs do we hold that are black and white in scripture? What do we believe regarding “gray” issues that should be left to personal conviction? What do we believe that has no scriptural basis, but is based on tradition?
After that inventory, we should ask ourselves how our beliefs affect our relationships with other Christians and how those beliefs affect those who have still not committed to Christ. We ought to be black and white where scripture is black and white, but when it comes to personal convictions and traditions, the Romans 14:20 commands us to “destroy not the work of God” over personal convictions.
2. Reveal its inadequacy – Many people do not like this one because criticism can point out areas where we are failing and because some people criticize with the wrong motives. That should not, however, turn us away from criticism because there are those who do so with pure motives. The Apostles wrote letters to the churches pointing out shortcomings, amongst other things, and it was for the benefit of the church. It is imperative for Christians to look at ourselves and ask what areas are lacking in regard to scripture.
It is imperative for Christians to look at ourselves and ask what areas are lacking in regard to scripture.
Vanessa Taylor
“But we should focus on the positive and not the negative.” Of course, we should focus on the positive, but that does not dismiss the negative. If that were the case, the Apostles would have never pointed out the early church’s inadequacies.
“But the only people who criticize the church are those who are bitter or who have backslidden.” This is not true, and to believe it is to assume the Apostles were bitter or backslidden when they wrote about things the church needed to change.
“But the people who are deconstructing are criticizing God and the Bible.” Not everyone who is “deconstructing” is criticizing God and the Bible; many are simply criticizing their former churches, realizing they have not been taught the truth, or realizing scripture was twisted to promote ungodly agendas. They should be angry about that, and they should be condemning that. Afterall, we want God and His Word to be represented accurately. Neither the Apostles nor Jesus held back when it came to confronting those who purposely misconstrued scripture.
God has no inadequacies nor does His Word, and if there appears to be discrepancies, it means His Word has been misinterpreted. If His Word has been misinterpreted, we should ask ourselves why and how it has been so, and study to rectify the erroneous view.
Paul encouraged the Philippians to “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). We must be evaluating ourselves and our beliefs and honestly asking if they align with scripture. If we find that they do not, we should work to correct those misconceptions.
In this correction, reconstruction begins. Reconstruction is defined by Merriam-Webster as “the action of reconstructing: the act or process of rebuilding, repairing, or restoring something.” With reconstruction, deconstruction can be a useful and much-needed tool, but deconstruction, without subsequent reconstruction, has the potential to lead to unfortunate outcomes.
So, how does one reconstruct after deconstruction? We can compare it to reconstructing a piece of furniture. If an individual finds a dilapidated, antique dresser and takes it home to inspect it, they will consider what parts are still in great condition and live up to the original designer’s work and what parts are damaged and broken and need fixing.
The drawers would then be pulled out and the broken pieces removed. The piece would be sanded down and, while messy, the beauty of the original wood would begin to show through.
The individual would not leave the dresser there as it sits in a heap of pulled out drawers, paint flakes, and broken pieces. He would begin to repair what is broken and put it back together to reveal its beauty and value.
Understanding the value of the antique dresser, the individual knows it would be unfortunate to throw away the opportunity to have such a wonderful thing. Instead of leaving it damaged or ignoring the broken parts and only focusing on the good ones, he begins to restore the entire piece to what it once was.
We must be doing this with ourselves and our belief systems. God is perfect and, while His church is made up of imperfect people, we should strive to be like Him in every way including acknowledging our shortcomings. This is deconstruction.
And, just as the one who found the dresser and saw the value in it, we know the value of God’s plan and the value of His church. When we choose to ignore the parts that are broken and focus only on the good, we cannot adequately correct the broken. Looking at the good while addressing what needs fixing is reconstruction.
We should be studying scripture on our own and evaluating what we hear preached at church. When we hear someone teach something as truth, we should see if what was taught aligns with the Bible. If someone asks us a question, or if we have questions ourselves, we should see what the Bible has to say about it. It is also good to discuss these questions with other Christians being sure that our discussions are rooted in scripture. We must be clear where the Bible is clear and take heed regarding what the Bible says about personal convictions, opinions, and traditions not allowing these things to destroy the work of God. If in our studies we find that we are lacking in any area, we should work to make corrections.
If someone asks us a question, or if we have questions ourselves, we should see what the Bible has to say about it.
Vanessa Taylor
May we find ourselves in a continual cycle of examination and improvement to ensure we are representing God and His Word accurately and to ensure we are striving to be more Christlike every day.
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