Letting Go and Growing Spiritually

When the Room Isn’t Big Enough Anymore…

One summer before my senior year of high school, I worked construction demolishing walls in a school building to make space for a new atrium. The room we tore down wasn't dilapidated. It was fully functional—clean walls, working lights, useful storage. Yet, despite its condition, it had to go. The school was expanding, and this room was no longer sufficient for its purpose. Something better, more expansive, was needed.

That image still resonates deeply with me. It’s a perfect metaphor for our spiritual lives. Sometimes, the theological room we occupy feels safe and complete. But at some point, it no longer fits who we are becoming. Growth requires demolition. Evolution demands we let go of structures that can’t accommodate our deeper knowing.

This is where spiritual deconstruction begins.

The Bubble I Once Lived In

I was born and raised in a specific denomination—Southern Baptist. For years, I consumed their literature, echoed their beliefs, and adopted their worldview. My theology was shaped in that echo chamber. I genuinely believed we held the truth. Not just some of it. All of it. That assumption went unchallenged because I didn’t know anything else.

But here’s the sobering truth: Southern Baptists make up less than 1% of global Christianity. That statistic shattered my illusion. With over 2.3 billion Christians and more than 45,000 denominations, the idea that one group monopolizes truth isn’t only naive but spiritually stifling.

That realization triggered the beginning of a transition; what I now know as spiritual deconstruction and reconstruction.

What Spiritual Deconstruction Really Means

Deconstruction is not rebellion. It’s not bitterness or backsliding. It’s the brave act of asking deeper questions.

Why do I believe this? Where did this teaching originate? Is this helping me grow spiritually or keeping me afraid and compliant?

Spiritual deconstruction is the process of peeling back the layers of inherited belief to see what truly resonates with the Spirit within. It involves evaluating what we were taught against the whisper of God that lives inside us.

This isn’t a one-time event. It’s a slow, ongoing awakening that calls us to be more honest with ourselves and more aligned with Divine love. It’s not about losing faith. It’s about letting go of fear-based religion to uncover something more real, more expansive.

Why Most People Avoid It

The answer is simple: fear. We’re afraid of being deceived. Afraid of being alone. Afraid of rejection. Fear tells us it’s safer to stay in the room we know—even if it’s too small.

But fear isn’t the voice of the Spirit. The Spirit invites. Fear intimidates. The Spirit frees. Fear imprisons.

When you start to deconstruct your faith, you will likely feel disoriented. But disorientation isn’t danger. It’s often the birthplace of revelation.

You Are Not Alone in This

The early stages of spiritual awakening can feel like exile. But exile is where transformation begins. You’re not the first to walk this road. Even the Apostle Paul had his "Damascus moment" where everything he thought he knew about God was flipped on its head.

Paul didn’t rush to replace his old theology. He withdrew. He walked into Arabia. He sat with the Spirit. He waited.

Sometimes the best spiritual growth happens in silence. No noise. No platforms. No striving. Just you and the Divine Presence within.

Reconstruction Happens in Stillness

Once deconstruction has cleared space, the Spirit begins a gentler work: reconstruction. But this isn’t about finding new dogma. It’s about allowing your beliefs to realign with love, union, and Presence.

The foundation of reconstructed faith is trust—trust in the Spirit within you, trust in the voice of Christ in you, and trust in the process itself. It’s not fast. It’s not flashy. But it’s deeply real.

Christ In You: The Ultimate Revelation

One of the most life-altering truths I’ve encountered through this journey is the realization that Christ isn’t external. Christ is within. Not because of a prayer I prayed or a doctrine I accepted, but because that’s always been true. I was never separate. I was simply unaware.

Union with Christ means there’s no gap to bridge, no ladder to climb, no behavior to perfect. It means I am already one with the Source of all life. This realization didn’t come from a pulpit. It came in stillness, through spiritual knowing, and quiet communion.

Why Letting Go Is the Path to Awakening

Letting go of inherited religious beliefs isn’t betrayal. It’s evolving. And growing. It’s shedding what no longer fits your spirit and embracing the unknown terrain where the Spirit leads.

As I let go, I noticed something incredible:

• I stopped clinging to being right.

• I stopped fearing deception.

• I discontinued a practice of performative spirituality.

Instead, I began living in flow, listening to Divine nudges, and experiencing deep inner peace. I saw the difference between organized religion vs. spiritual awakening. One requires conformity. The other invites union.

How to Begin Your Own Deconstruction Journey

If you feel the tug to leave behind stale theology and step into a more Spirit-led life, start small. You don’t need to have all the answers at once. You only need a willingness to be honest.

Begin by asking:

• Does this belief bring me closer to Divine love?

• Does this teaching resonate with the Spirit within me?

• Am I following truth or tradition?

Then listen. Journal. Sit in silence. Meditate. Read outside your usual circles. Let your intuition reawaken. And above all, trust the process.

Deconstruction Leads to Life

When Paul emerged from Arabia, he wasn’t interested in rejoining a system. He wasn’t preaching out of obligation. He was living from revelation.

His life was no longer about striving for God focused outside himself. It became about living from within, from God who lived in him. That’s the difference. That’s the shift.

And it’s available to all of us.

Let the Spirit Lead You Home

This isn’t about theology for theology's sake. This is about truth. This is about freedom. This is about living AWAKE.

You’re not called to remain stuck in systems built on fear, exclusion, or control. You’re called to live from your union with Christ—fully, freely, fearlessly.

Let the old room go. Let Spirit build the atrium. Walk into the new space.

Because the truth is, you were never outside of God. You were never alone. You were never unworthy.

You’re loved. You’re one with Christ. And you are finally waking up to who you've always been.

See D. Scott Cook’s book Thrive Not Just Survive: How to Live from Within to learn more.