A few months ago I came across a Facebook post that someone made about how they were “done with church” and happy to enjoy Sunday without religion, etc. It was a sad read because it came from a place of hurt feelings and bitterness. I was hurt to read how she was hurt, how her hurt led her away from the Bible instead of deeper into it, how some misused the Bible to cause her to be hurt in the first place, and how that led to her being misled into thinking worshiping God on the Lord’s Day is no longer important. This person isn’t 18 or 25 years old either. This was a post made by someone seventy years old who spent decades sitting in a church house, singing hymns, praying, studying, all of it. You might wonder: How can someone at that age just walk away from it all?

Actually, it’s not as uncommon as you might think.

It’s curious to study how so-called “faith deconstruction” affects different demographics. To the young, it’s a way to peel them away from God before godly principles have a chance to take root. For the old, it’s a way to let pent-up frustrations out, and give someone a kind of “retirement” from church-going. In both cases, it’s an appeal to vanity, selfishness, and worldliness. “Faith deconstruction” is a terrible tool of the Devil. It does not have anyone’s best interests at heart. It exists solely as a way to make you stop being a faithful Christian. It replaces Christ and His way, truth, and life with the world. It parades the lie that just being a nice person, a moral person, a friendly person, or a helpful person is all that is important.

A comment in response to that lady’s post shared her sentiment, and said: “I’ve become a believer in my own power. I need nothing to tell me how to live.” Another comment said: “I’m with you. Finally over the guilt! I’m free!!!” Every now and then I have to read things like that, because I can get in a bubble and forget that there are people who really don’t appreciate that without Jesus there is no getting over guilt. Without Jesus, there is no freedom. The devil, however, will lie and tell you that a guilt-free life of liberty is available without any of the commands of Jesus. Have your cake and eat it too. I’m sure it feels very liberating to turn away from God and never look back. No more commandments. No more prohibitions. No more expectations. Just do whatever you want. Eat from that tree, Eve. Doesn’t it look good? It’ll make you wise.

“You will not surely die!”

I’m sure the prodigal son, halfway down the driveway felt liberated. He might’ve even said something to the effect of “I need nothing to tell me how to live” and “I’m free!” I know when my firstborn son ran away, he left a note saying “I’ve never felt more alive.” And then, a few hours later, the police picked him up, lost, alone, and chillingly aware that he was not prepared to live in this world. He was sixteen at the time. This lady is 70; she is prepared to live in this world.

It’s the next one she’s chosen to ignore.

~Matthew