Deconstruction

Deconstruction.  What a sad word.  It implies an undoing of something that is complete and whole.  Deconstructing is far easier than constructing.   

In my work as a pediatric occupational therapist, I often see children whom I call my “deconstructors.”  They are not yet able to grasp the concept of a particular activity but will seek to “undo” whatever the activity is – knocking down blocks, or pulling apart Legos, or taking puzzle pieces out of a puzzle rather than completing it. 

Think about a very tall building, which took years to construct.  It can be brought down in a matter of seconds by any number of things.  Tearing something down is easier than building with care and purpose.

Things in our own lives can be deconstructed too without much difficulty – things which take years to build – a marriage, a friendship, a reputation, a career, and even our faith. 
So, what do we need to do to keep ourselves from becoming our own worst enemies, from the possibility of deconstructing those things most valuable to us?

We start with a firm foundation, based on Truth.  We must know what truth is and where we can find it.  Jesus says that he IS the truth in John 14:6. Many people quote John 8:32, probably without even knowing it comes from the Bible – “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jesus said those words, but we must understand them in the context of verse 31, which is the first part of his statement, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”   He is not just talking about knowing a set of facts, but about living in the very essence of truth found in him and his word.  This is our foundation and the only thing worthy of building on. 

“Thy word is truth” (John 17:17). Reading his word and knowing it – abiding in it – is the only way to know the truth.  Without it we can get sucked into the vortex of moral relativism.  Truth is not found within ourselves or our own hearts, but in the God of Scripture.  Truth is not synonymous with our feelings.  Our feelings can change like shifting sands, but we can build on the firm foundation of his words and precepts.  Titus 1:1 states that “knowledge of the truth accords with righteousness.” If we know it, we can more easily do the right thing when challenges come, and difficult decisions have to be made. 

If we deconstruct anything, let it be our doubt, and let us cling to the truth like the life raft it is.