Look Straight Ahead to the Future – Study 2020/48

“Your eyes should look straight ahead, yes, fix your gaze straight ahead of you.” Proverbs 4:25

[Study 48 from ws 11/20 p.24 January 25 – January 31, 2021]

A reader of this week’s Watchtower Study article may wonder why choose such a theme. It is not even a question such as “Why look straight ahead to the future?”. Rather, the way the theme is worded, it is trying to tell us what to do.

The study article is made up of just three main topics which are:

  • The trap of nostalgia
  • The trap of resentment
  • The trap of excessive guilt

Let us look at the context of Proverbs 4:25 to help us understand what the inspired writer of Proverbs was discussing.

Proverbs 4:20-27 reads as follows: “My son, pay attention to my words; Listen carefully to my sayings. 21 Do not lose sight of them; Keep them deep within your heart, 22 For they are life to those who find them And health to their whole body. 23 Above all the things that you guard, safeguard your heart, For out of it are the sources of life. 24 Put crooked speech away from you, And keep devious talk far away from you. 25 Your eyes should look straight ahead, Yes, fix your gaze straight ahead of you. 26 Smooth out the course of your feet, And all your ways will be sure. 27 Do not incline to the right or the left. Turn your feet away from what is bad.”

The message given in this passage is to keep our figurative eyes (as in our mind) straight ahead, but why? So that we do not lose spiritual sight of God’s words as written in his written word the Bible and by implication, as later preached by his Son, Jesus Christ, the Word (or mouthpiece) of God. The reason being is that it would mean good physical health for us, and future life. By putting our faith in Jesus as the saviour of mankind, we keep safeguarded in our figurative heart the sayings of everlasting life. (John 3:16,36; John 17:3; Romans 6:23; Matthew 25:46, John 6:68).

In addition, with our “eyes” and hence minds fixed on truth, avoiding crooked speech and devious talk, we would not turn away from serving God and Christ our King. We would also turn away from what is bad.

Does the study article deal with any of these points that the context of Proverbs 4:25 requires?

No. Rather the study article goes off at a tangent to deal with issues in the congregations that are all of their own making, either directly caused by or as a result of their teaching and style of teaching.

The first section of the study article deals with the subject of “The Trap of Nostalgia”.

Paragraph 6 states “Why is it unwise to keep thinking that our life was better in the past? Nostalgia can cause us to remember only good things from our past. Or it can cause us to minimize the hardships we used to face.”. Now this is a true statement, but why raise this point? How many Witnesses do you know who look back with nostalgia to times without modern communications, poorer healthcare, less variety of food and so forth?

However, no doubt you know of many Witnesses who look back to when they were younger and healthier and were earning sufficient money to pay their way and Armageddon was on the doorstep (whether 1975 or by the year 2000). These same Witnesses though, are now facing poor health in their old age, a lack of income to maintain a reasonable standard of living perhaps due to no savings and no pension. Why? The main cause for most of them is because of making life affecting decisions based on the false hopes they were convinced to believe were real hopes, i.e., that such things like a pension would not be required (because Armageddon would come before they needed one). Now they find themselves in these sad positions and hence look back wishing for the better times they had to be here again. With the Covid Pandemic, many younger ones have likewise been convinced that Armageddon is imminent and right now are making the same mistakes in making life affecting decisions, based on false hopes.

The reality is that the Organization wants you to put on blinkers, and not look back to when times were better. Many of us had strong faith that Armageddon was near, in part because we believed the lies we were told. Now, we have to look at where these views and beliefs have brought us, in poor circumstances, and left with only a desire or vain hope that Armageddon is really near, rather than strong faith.

Of course, waking up to the reality that we have been misled by the Organization, perhaps for most of our lifetime, can lead to resentment. No doubt that is the second section of the study article is entitled “The Trap of Resentment”.

Paragraph 9 reads: “Read Leviticus 19:18. We often find it hard to let go of resentment if the person who treated us wrongly is a fellow believer, a close friend, or a relative” or even the Organization we believed had the truth and was the one God was using today.

It is true “that Jehovah sees everything. He is aware of all that we go through, including any injustices we experience.” (para 10). “We also want to remember that when we let go of resentment, we benefit ourselves.” (para 11). But that does not mean, nor should we, forget that the Organization has mistreated us or our relatives, and has lied to us. Otherwise, we would fall for their lies yet again and suffer again. Likewise, with the rest of organized religion which we may have left behind when becoming a Witness. Would it be wise to be nostalgic about those times and return to them? Would it not be just exchanging one set of lies for another? Instead, is it not best that we personally build a relationship with God and Christ using what God and Christ have provided to all, the Bible, rather than relying on others views and interpretations and who for the most part desire a following.

Tadua does not have the desire or the intention to become responsible for others salvation. There is a big difference between being helpful, by providing the results of research in God’s word for others benefit and expecting the readers to always follow and agree with its conclusions. Does not Philippians 2:12 remind us, “keep working out your own salvation with fear and trembling”? We can each help one another, just as the early Christians did, as we all have different strengths, but ultimately, we each have an individual responsibility to work out our own salvation. We should not expect others to do so, nor fall into the trap of following everything other say, otherwise we are taking the easy way out and trying to absolve ourselves of taking personal responsibility.

The third section deals with “The trap of excessive guilt”. How is this a result of the teachings of the Organization?

Given that the articles from the Organization are invariably written in such a way as to instigate fear, obligation, and guilt, in us, it is hardly surprising they need to try and counterbalance the feelings of guilt many Witnesses have. We are always being pushed to do more by the Organization, being presented with so-called experiences of Witnesses who seem to be able to accomplish the impossible, for example, like a single parent with a large number of children, being able to care for them financially, emotionally, and pioneer as well!

We can learn from the causes of nostalgia, resentment, and excessive guilt. How so? We can learn to echo Jesus word’s in our mind regarding the future day of Armageddon, “Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father”. (Matthew 24:36.)

Whatever the future holds at least “We have the prospect of living forever. And in God’s new world, we will not be plagued with regrets about the past. Regarding that time, the Bible says: “The former things will not be called to mind.” (Isaiah. 65:17)”.

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Dean

Not seen any wt reviews in a while, have these ceased?
Pity because they were enjoyable