A brother brought this point out in a talk recently. While we are listening to a talk or reading from the magazine or Bible, first comes Thoughts.We think about what we are hearing, and we analyze it. Then that stirs feelings within us. The feelings could be strong or they could be fairly passive. And then finally those feelings impel us to action. (or inaction)
I know that there has been times in my life when I was completely unaware of this process and I did things without really knowing why I was doing them. Like because everybody else was doing it I followed along, or due to feeling obligated to please someone, etc., etc.
So now that the realization that I don’t have all the answers has come, the struggle comes again. And this thought process, “Think, Feel, Act!” becomes even more important. Why am I doing what I’m doing? To please men? Or our Heavenly Father? What does my individual conscience allow me to do? Am I following it? Or ignoring it?
But it’s okay- it can even be good. We must “keep testing” our faith, keep learning, and know ourselves good enough to be able to later look back and say, “This is why I did it this way.”
You sound to me like a man with a guilty conscience. JK 😉
Greybeard(Quote)
Sometimes we don’t know if it is our conscience or other’s expectations that motivate us. Consider the requirement of turning in our field service report. What is the reason for this? It is to make us responsible to men instead of to God. How many pioneers and publishers have only gone out in service to “make their time” or because they thought the elders would think well of them if they got a certain amount of hours in a month.
A certain elder pioneer in our cong. that I served with as elder has always tried to make me feel I wasn’t doing enough, even though I worked full time had a family and got the publisher average or more and from time to time auxilary pioneered. In the past I also served as a reg. pioneer. A field service report to some completely quantifies a persons spirituality. By looking at an average an elder can completely understand how close of a relationship that person has with Jehovah.
I am tired of being responsible to men for what I should only be responsible to God. Who will judge us finally? Elders? Men? During the judgement we can be assured none of us will receive a call from Jesus asking us our opinion of someone we served with in some cong. in the past.
Andrew(Quote)
Well said Brother Andrew. I know simply turn in a general number around ten and don’t even keep track of how many hours, placements, etc. I make. Ray Franz mentions how obsessed the GB was/is with statistics and numbers when they are tabulated each month. Growth and statistics is not the sole measurement of God’s approval. David persisted I’m taking a census when Jehovah said it wasn’t necessary.
JJ(Quote)
Spot on Andrew! I always had an issue turning in time.
Dennis(Quote)
Wow Andrew, you sure described the elders at our hall!
“A field service report to some completely quantifies a persons spirituality. By looking at an average an elder can completely understand how close of a relationship that person has with Jehovah.”
As a brother with a large family I can sympathize with your experiance.
The sad part is that for MANY years they had me convinced that this is the way Jehovah judged me too.:(
Jayme(Quote)
ЎHola!
No estб seguro de que esto es verdad:), pero gracias a un cargo.
Gracias
BernieR
BernieR(Quote)
Is there a place to just post questions?
Jon(Quote)
Jon
I’ve thought about that before, and will try and work up a page devoted to Qs. The main thing I have learned lately though is that prayer and personal study and research can oftentimes be
more beneficial than the advice of any one person. That said, I am fortunate to have a couple of friends in the struggle that I can call or email from time to time. We all need that, no matter who we are.
JJ(Quote)