To Deconstruct or Reconstruct Your Faith

Obedience from the Heart

As I distance myself from legalistic teachings — a focus on strict following of rules rather than obeying from the heart — a graciousness comes in that says, God loves you; I am no better than you; I am a simple follower of His way, truth, and life; and it is well with my soul.

We can argue, disagree, and condemn, but get nothing for our efforts. However, we can pray, intercede and plead with God as we bring our concerns to Him and place our trust in Him. Prayer is where the power rests. Not in our way but in God’s way comes forth the answer.

Deconstructing?

There is a lot going on in the Church today. Some has been a long time in coming. The Church has drifted from its moorings. It’s lost its first love. People are leaving the faith. People are sick of inauthentic Christianity. And some are tired of it all. Some have quit believing the gospel.

Why? I’m no expert, but I believe we have become enamored with its teachings more than we have become faithful to its message. On the other hand, many find it easier and less traumatic to not believe, than to pretend a false belief. Gulp. What did we miss? What went wrong? What gives?

The message has weakened as the messengers lose the purity of the message. Christ came to save sinners. Christ came to set people free. Christ came to give new life. Christ came to put us on a new path, the Kingdom road to joy, peace, hope, and love. True believers will experience healing, freeing, strengthening, life, help, and renewal on this road they’re traversing.

A genuine faith walks close with the Savior. This walk is not scripted nor routine. It has life to it. We cannot do it in our own strength, though we sometimes try. God is our Source. He is our completeness. His life in our life produces fruit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”*

Rather than deconstructing their Christian beliefs by throwing the baby out with the bathwater, like many are doing, we would be well-served to reconstruct our Christian beliefs by getting rid of what is man-made while at the same time embracing what is of God. Think on what is true, noble, and of good report. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”**

Reconstructing?

You can self-assess to see where you’re at in this.

  1. Do I exhibit love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control?
  2. Do I think on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable?
  3. Does it originate in my soul and from the Word as I meditate on it, or is it of human effort, and guilt- and shame-based?
  4. Does my spiritual life give life to my soul?
  5. Am I able to manage the troubles in life without being destroyed by them?

Christianity is not an easy journey. And it doesn’t make us super human beings. We trip up and fall, and get discouraged. God waits for us to trust Him with all of it. He can be our peace in the storm. He is our Rock, our Fortress, and Deliverer. Let Him enliven you, energize your spirit, and keep you enfolded in His care. There you will find blessedness.

A simple prayer

Father God, You know who is reading this, who needs this, who is overwhelmed, hurting, or struggling. You know the desires of their heart. Help them, dear God. Be their comfort and cheer, their help and their guide. You are so good to us. You are faithful and kind. Thank you. Help us to come alive in you. Help us to trust You more. We praise You. In Jesus’ precious and holy name, Amen.

*Galatians 5:22-23, **Philippians 4:8

Photo by Federico Respini, Unsplash

Not the Boss of Me

Really, now. . . not quite so fast.

–T’s in Our Lives–

In our spiritual lives we come to many T’s where we make choices. Some choices cost us and draw us in directions others don’t understand, agree with, or approve. Scripture validates that the choice for God is always the best choice.

A choice for God is a choice for what God loves, which is a choice to the good God is doing. God loves the world. He loves obedience. He loves the heart that seeks Him. He loves repentance. The humble, worshipful person is pleasing to the Lord.

“This is what the LORD says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.‘” Good so far, right? Then comes this. “But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.'”*

What a contrast. What the Lord says versus how the people respond. When we are at a crossroads in our lives, do we ask, “Where is the good way? Am I walking in the good way?” We will “find rest for our souls,” when we do walk in the good way. Again, God is always the best choice.

This sounds like a no brainer. But it is not easy should our focus stray from following God’s way.

The choice to follow God is one of consequence. No longer are we our own boss. Early in Jesus’ ministry He said to a couple fishermen, “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” What was remarkable, they did come, they did follow, and they did become fishers of men.

Jonah made a choice, too. He was angry at the spiritual directive, so he chose to turn away from God, to continue hating the ungodly–the undeserving of God’s mercy (according to his way of thinking), without compassion for the godless people of Nineveh. But God had a plan, and God loved the people in Ninevah. God offered them a chance to repent and turn from their wicked ways. Jonah was the messenger, though an unwilling one.

“On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: ‘Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!'”(Jonah 3:4)

From the king down, the people of Nineveh repented and turned to God, while Jonah sulked and waited for their demise with an unrepentant heart. He was a grudging follower pressed into service. After the fact, He was still nursing a grudge toward God. I don’t know if Jonah came to his senses, but I do know God used Jonah in spite of himself. In the New Testament there is a look back on that event. “The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”**

[I read through the book of Jonah last week. Just wow. I’d like societies around the world to repent like the people of Nineveh did. Here’s a sobering thought. Would you do what God said if he told you to go to a godless country and tell them to repent?]

We can be like the fishermen, or we can be like Jonah, or we can be like the Ninevites. We come to T’s in the road when faced with a big decision. These decisions decide the direction we will take for our next steps. Like the pilgrims of last week it can be a major undertaking–think missionary– missions project– major endeavor–an ordinary thing–like how to support your friend or family–or dealing with your self-issues. No matter what it is, the choice that employs a servant’s heart and acts in obedience to God is the one that is pleasing to our Lord.

How we get this thing right is by consistently doing five things.

  1. Pray. Pray through all aspects of it.
  2. Wait. Wait until God shows you the right way.
  3. Trust. Trust God to supply what you need.
  4. Go. Go with God. Hard or easy, keep focused on God.
  5. Praise. Praise God for who He is, what He is doing, and for the journey

God completes what He starts. The wait is a time of active praying, seeking, and learning. The wait is not twiddling your thumbs and doing nothing. Choose the good way and walk in it. “But my God shall supply all your need, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”***

Thank you, Father, for supplying all I need, according to Your riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

* * *

*(Jeremiah 6:16) **(Matthew 12:41) ***(Philippians 4:19)

Photo by Rosie Steggles, Unsplash