The Deconstruction and Reconstruction of our Faith

[mkgal1]

A recent sermon has me thinking. The Scripture this sermon was based on is Mark 10 (where Bartimaeus receives his sight) and Reverend likened that to when we've had a point where we've had "blinders" taken off and seen things in a new (true) light. One of the anecdotal stories he used was a lady that had come up to him recently and stated that she's been attending that church for a while now, but was starting to feel "uncomfortable", but wasn't sure why. He suggested to her that it was that her "old way of seeing" was something she could no longer hold onto along with accepting her "new way of seeing" (IOW......a "crisis of faith")---one or the other had to be let go.

I've been through that---but I recall getting weepy (what I mean by that was sudden uncontrollable crying---something that I couldn't even understand what I was crying over). That did cause me to take notice, and eventually I figured out what that was all about (shedding off the old in order to grab a hold of the new).

In all my years on forums, another response I've witnessed is that some get very defensive and protective of their old beliefs (ones that they may be 'on the fence' about). That makes me wonder if they ever get to the point of grasping that new "sight" or if ---because of their rejection of it---they miss out entirely because of how they protect the old?

Does any of that make sense to you? Can you think of a time where you experienced an "intersection of faith"? How did *you* respond? Would you describe it as "uncomfortable"? Overwhelming? Did you lash out at people? If you can't recall living this personally----have you experienced others that went through it? As an outsider---what was your impression?

 

[Navari]

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[Navari]

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[Grafted In]

Forgiveness was a monumental problem for me. I was saved about 36 years ago. My wife was saved about 6 months later. Through all of that 6 months she was hiding an offense that simply gutted me when she brought our pastor home to tell me the truth. Things went along sorta ok for 2 or 3 years, then I sank into deep bitterness. It took until about a year and a half ago for me to come to grips with it. Through the help of a counselor I was given understanding from my Lord that I was to blame for her transgression. I honestly don't think the counselor is saved but Jesus spoke to me through her and gently helped me see what a cruel person I really was. I was able to totally forgive my wife and I told her that I was sorry that my cruelty pushed her to the point of doing something she so intensely regretted and was ashamed of.
We have a new relationship now that, aside from an occasional fight, has made both of us stronger. I didn't think I could ever get past the affair she had, but Jesus brought me through it and healed me. For all those years He continued to teach incredible things to me. Most of the time I feared that I was lost...that unforgiveness had robbed me of salvation. Then out of the blue, He would show me a Truth in a very deep way. Although I was rebelious He still kept teaching me from His Word and at times in miraculous revelations, totally unexpected.
I think I was very blessed to have had such an amazing born again experience.
The day I got saved, I picked up a Bible and just could not put it down. He taught me so much so fast that I was able to resist the bad advice I got from other believers. They tried to pull me this way and push me that way, but I had so much understanding when I finally revealed to others that I had been born again. How I do thank Jesus for that intense, early understanding He gave me. Now I understand. I just have to believe He chose to allow me to continue in unforgiveness for those 30 some years for a reason. I wish I knew why, but I'm ok with not knowing. I even came to the point recently that it was OK with me if Jesus chooses for me to be unhappy. I'm ok with whatever His will is for me. During this recent healing I've come to understand that He does sometimes pull one of His aside and places them under intense pressure for His Glory and I've told Him I can accept that if He so chooses. A study of The Tabernacle I recently read talked about this by explaining the crushing of things taken from the Oil inThe Lampstand.

I really hadn't set out to write a novel. I just started typing and felt led to keep typing. It's been a good day and perhaps He just wanted to lift someone up with my words. I don't know, but I hope so.

 

[Autumnleaf]

When you deconstruct and reconstruct, you rebuild something else than what was meant to be. Go back.

 

[RedPonyDriver]

When you deconstruct and reconstruct, you rebuild something else than what was meant to be. Go back.

I disagree...often you reconstruct to change and fix certain deficits that existed in the original.

 

[Dave-W]

When you deconstruct and reconstruct, you rebuild something else than what was meant to be. Go back.

That depends entirely on who is doing the re-construction.

 

[royal priest]

A couple of factors come to mind as to why we might react strongly to a change in our belief about sonething. One is, the strength of a conviction that the former was true. Another would be, the degree to which that change would impact our worldview. Another would depend on the changes that new belief requires of our behavior. The gospel is an offense to the way our sinful minds think. This especially true concerning its demands on our lives.

 

[mkgal1]

A couple of factors come to mind as to why we might react strongly to a change in our belief about something. One is, the strength of a conviction that the former was true. Another would be, the degree to which that change would impact our worldview. Another would depend on the changes that new belief requires of our behavior. The gospel is an offense to the way our sinful minds think. This especially true concerning its demands on our lives.

Maybe I'll have to give an example of what kind of change in belief system I had in mind, because while this can be a large part of the reactions---at the same time, it doesn't make sense to me why a person would resist something that allows them to be free and have an improved life (like GraftedIn described).

On forums I've seen a strong resistance to the idea that God doesn't have specific gender-specific behaviors or personalities for us. No matter how many articles that are posted that support the idea that there's no such thing as "male brains" and "female brains" ...people resist. That's what I don't get. Isn't it better to live in freedom than to try to squeeze into boxes that have been decided by others?

 

[RedPonyDriver]

Maybe I'll have to give an example of what kind of change in belief system I had in mind, because while this can be a large part of the reactions---at the same time, it doesn't make sense to me why a person would resist something that allows them to be free and have an improved life (like GraftedIn described).

On forums I've seen a strong resistance to the idea that God doesn't have specific gender-specific behaviors or personalities for us. No matter how many articles that are posted that support the idea that there's no such thing as "male brains" and "female brains" ...people resist. That's what I don't get. Isn't it better to live in freedom than to try to squeeze into boxes that have been decided by others?

Some folks resist this idea because it disturbs their worldview. They see things very black and white. Women are this, men are that. A straight woman who is a car mechanic and a straight man that does counted cross-stitch completely blows their minds. To some folks women are "nurturers, emotional, suited to being at home" and men are "logical, non-emotional, suited for the cutthroat world of a career". Too many people are trying like heck to push themselves into these boxes and are miserable. Others feel threatened by people who don't fit those boxes.

Being a woman, an engineer, a muscle car freak who turns her own wrenches, is the logical one in her marriage, and wouldn't be caught dead doing counted cross-stitch...it's a real pain in the posterior trying to explain that the world is NOT black and white...

 

[royal priest]

nm

 

[royal priest]

Some folks resist this idea because it disturbs their worldview. They see things very black and white. Women are this, men are that. A straight woman who is a car mechanic and a straight man that does counted cross-stitch completely blows their minds. To some folks women are "nurturers, emotional, suited to being at home" and men are "logical, non-emotional, suited for the cutthroat world of a career". Too many people are trying like heck to push themselves into these boxes and are miserable. Others feel threatened by people who don't fit those boxes.

Being a woman, an engineer, a muscle car freak who turns her own wrenches, is the logical one in her marriage, and wouldn't be caught dead doing counted cross-stitch...it's a real pain in the posterior trying to explain that the world is NOT black and white...

This touches on the kind of thing I was referring to. Even though God's Word gives us some liberty with respect to roles of men and women in society, we do need to be careful that we do so within the bounds of those principles God has clearly laid out for us in His Word.
Some believe such boundaries are too restrictive and others try to make God's word seem more restrictive than it really is. In both cases, many people take offense.

 

[mkgal1]

Some folks resist this idea because it disturbs their worldview. They see things very black and white. Women are this, men are that. A straight woman who is a car mechanic and a straight man that does counted cross-stitch completely blows their minds. To some folks women are "nurturers, emotional, suited to being at home" and men are "logical, non-emotional, suited for the cutthroat world of a career". Too many people are trying like heck to push themselves into these boxes and are miserable. Others feel threatened by people who don't fit those boxes.

Being a woman, an engineer, a muscle car freak who turns her own wrenches, is the logical one in her marriage, and wouldn't be caught dead doing counted cross-stitch...it's a real pain in the posterior trying to explain that the world is NOT black and white...

Exactly! They cling to that old worldview (even when something new and improved is presented).

I'd never really put it together, but in the same sermon I'm referring to, he'd said that "fundamentalism" and "extremism" are characterized by black and white thinking. I wonder if that's the main issue---a person with that sort of rigid world view just can't move from one extreme to the next, and never absorbs the reality that there *is* middle ground. For instance....just because he or she meets you (and sees that you're an engineer that loves and knows all about cars and is the logical one between you and your husband) doesn't mean that because of that NO women in the world fit the typical stereotype that applies to women. It seems to me that it'd be realized that dropping expectations would be far less confusing.

 

[mkgal1]

This touches on the kind of thing I was referring to. Even though God's Word gives us some liberty with respect to roles of men and women in society, we do need to be careful that we do so within the bounds of those principles God has clearly laid out for us in His Word.
Some believe such boundaries are too restrictive and others try to make God's word seem more restrictive than it really is. In both cases, many people take offense.

I don't really want to turn this into the topic of "gender roles". I more wanted to discuss the resistance of changing world views. I just used that as an example (and that could turn into a whole other discussion---one that is pretty sensitive around here).

 

[royal priest]

I don't really want to turn this into the topic of "gender roles". I more wanted to discuss the resistance of changing world views. I just used that as an example (and that could turn into a whole other discussion---one that is pretty sensitive around here).

I know what you mean, but gender roles is a great example because of it's present cultural relevance to this topic. I'll tell you what though, I would have no problem with my wife knowing a great deal about cars, but I admit it would be pretty embarrassing for me since I know very little about them. That's something I would blame on our cultural expectations though(not my own pride, of course )

 

[mkgal1]

I know what you mean, but gender roles is a great example because of it's present cultural relevance to this topic. I'll tell you what though, I would have no problem with my wife knowing a great deal about cars, but I admit it would be pretty embarrassing for me since I know very little about them. That's something I would blame on our cultural expectations though(not my own pride, of course )

True....it's relevant, but it's a HUGE topic and I'm concerned it will detract from my main point if we focus too much on that in general.

Maybe if we focus on just an aspect of gender roles? How about this element: a lot of males absorb the idea from boyhood that in order to be "manly" they are to "handle things" on their own. It's a widespread belief that "boys don't share and process" with each other---they just "get over it" and "handle it". While that may be true (that many men *don't* share and process---that doesn't make it healthy, nor does that mean it's what defines a man). Personally (and based on what I know and believe about community)......I believe that's a destructive belief system that opens a male up to all kinds of problems. If we're going to disagree on that---I don't want to debate that (I'd rather agree to disagree and figure out something we can agree on to use as an example).

To further illustrate my point.....this video is about just that (living with that belief system.....living out the consequences....and then discovering truth). Personally, I think it's well worth the time (it's qued to be about a 30 minute video):

 

[royal priest]

I haven't watched the vid yet, but I agree the model this culture has produced as the stereotypical male fails the biblical portrayal in several aspects. The Christian model for the male is primarily Jesus. Paul said, "as I learned Christ, so also you learn of me." Godly men are also our examples. Too many people get their ideas of womanhood or manhood from celebrities. Hollywood has yet to produce a character that truly fears God and calls on the name of the Lord.

 

[mkgal1]

After I wrote that out and thought about the process he had to go through (Danny MacPhail--in the video) and it occurred to me that maybe there's resistance because there's no immediate gratification. His old ways of coping offered immediate gratification (although it was a false gratification)......but in order to experience the full truth, he had to spend years "in the wilderness" (so to speak). So....I wonder if that's why so many resist and continue to live with their old [faulty] framework? There's "darkness" and difficulty on the way. I even went back to read Saul's/Paul's conversion account and was reminded that wasn't an immediate conversion (as I was recalling). He experienced three days of blindness following that encounter with the bolt of light (Jesus incarnate). So maybe people would rather cling to the known (even if it proves to carry with it isolation, shame, bitterness) in favor of the unknown?

 

[mkgal1]

I just read this in a blog. I found it applicable:

New life doesn’t come without it’s discomfort. New life doesn’t come without work. New life doesn’t come without sleeplessness and restlessness.

New life changes every aspect of who we are and how we view the world.

 

[royal priest]

I watched the video of Danny’s testimony and I think I see what you are referring to now as deconstruction/reconstruction. People trying to overcome addiction have a long road ahead of them. I’m not fan of the word addiction because it fails to aptly express the biblical synopsis of what is wrong with mankind. It’s a morally neutral term used by psychologists who don’t recognize guilt as as a legitimate fruit of the conscience.
The truth is, mankind isn’t merely addicted to sin, we are slaves of sin (John 8:34). Our hearts are extremely deceitful and wicked. So much so, we can’t truly know our own hearts (Jeremiah 17:9).
Therefore, the entirety of the Christian life is one big deconstruct/reconstruct. Each time the Word of God reveals to us our wickedness, we need to deconstruct/reconstruct (James 1:23-25). Every thought needs to be brought into subjection to the Word of God (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
Deconstructing/reconstructing is a way of expressing repentance. This is the reason it is so difficult. For instance, when we have ideas that are contrary the Scriptures, then we need to deconstruct (abandon that way of thinking). Then we reconstruct (conform our ideas to the will of God.) Repentance is turning from sin and unto God. It is putting off our old selves and putting on the Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:9-10).
When most people deconstruct/reconstruct (repent), they fail to see their problem as sin. Instead, they call it addiction (in most cases to avoid guilt) and turn to something that is other than God. This is why we hardly ever hear unbelievers who overcame addiction praising God. Instead they praise family, or friends, or some 10 step program. Of course those things have their part, but if God is granting someone genuine repentance then that person will give God the glory for it. (Acts 11:18, 1 Thessalonians 1:9)
It's so hard because true repentance involves hating sin, hating our old nature to point of killing it. As the commentor you noted, said, "new life changes every aspect of who we are and how we view the world."