Submitting monthly time records is one of those requirements that I had always wondered about. I mean how much hours and RVs did Paul submit and how many magazines and subscriptions did Peter record.
I always had difficulty achieving the national average, although I used to go frequently out in service. I just could not bring myself to count the time driving to the service arrangements, driving around looking for houses, and driving off publishers afterwards.
This kept me from being appointed an MS from some time. These were the innocent days. Afterwards, it became easy when I learned of how other publishers counted their time.
There is no scriptural backing for this requirement, yet the Society places heavy emphasis on it to the extent that a publisher’s reputation and spiritual blessings are at stake. If a publisher does not submit his time for six months in a row, then he is considered inactive. An inactive publisher will no longer be counted among the faithful active JWs and thus stands the chance of being disqualified from receiving eternal life.
This is what happens when a man-made organization attempts to intercept the gracious blessings bestowed by the Father through Jesus Christ upon those that have faith. In effect, this simple time keeping and submitting requirement is in fact a form of highway robbery. When Christ said come to me, and I am the way etc…this man-made organization jumps those that are approaching Him, saying that they are His representatives and sole agents, and demands extortion payments in the form of donated moneys and resources, servitude and keeping of records.
The Society uses the donated money and resources to expand their operation. They use the free servitude in order to push their literature and publications and then keep tally of these activities that amount in billions of hours in order to impress those that are serving them and lure more hapless victims. According to the Society, the ever increasing number of hours spent each year is an indication of Jehovah’s blessings.
Yet, if one asks a simple question and that is, of all these billions of hours, how many were actually spent in visiting a single elderly sister when she fell sick. The answer is a big zero. Because visiting a baptized sister is not to be counted. But driving around knocking on empty houses is definitely worth recording and that shows Jehovah’s blessings.
It is interesting to note that the scriptures do in fact point to keeping of records as part of the salvation process. It is recorded in Malachi 3:16 “At that time those in fear of Jehovah spoke with one another, each one with his companion, and Jehovah kept paying attention and listening. And a book of remembrance began to be written up before him…”
Yes, it is Jehovah God, though his Son Jesus that writes and keeps the records. They know who is really serving and they know who is goofing off.
So, no worry then as to count what time one starts in service and what time one returns home, subtracting the 15 minutes spent at Mcdonalds for coffee. Unless, Of course, one pushes a magazine at the freckled teenager working behind the counter, then they can record all time spent.