BigRocksFirst

by DevilsAdvocate_DA 20 Replies latest jw friends

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  DevilsAdvocate_DA

  Big Rocks First

  One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used a illustration those students will never forget.

  As he stood in front of the group of HIGH-POWERED overachievers he said,"Okay,. time for a quiz." and he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouth mason jar and set it on the table in fornt of him.

  He also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?" Everyone in the class yelled, "Yes"

  The time management expert replied, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in shook the jar, carefully, causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between th big rocks.

  He then asked the group once, more, "Is the jar full?"

  By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not," one of them ansewerd.

  "Good!" he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is the jar full?"

  "No!" the class shouted.

  Once again he said, "Good." Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?"

  One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full our schedule is, if we try really hard we can always fit some more things in it!"

  "No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is:
  If we don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all. --WHAT ARE THE 'BIG ROCKS' IN OUR LIVES-- , our faith ( DA addition -- in Jehovah God, His Son Jesus Christ and the workings of His holy spirit** -- not an organization. The Jews of Jesus time gave us a good example of not trusting in Jehovah and Jesus. For 98 % that post here I need not remind. But for the other 2 %, the Jews hard hearts lost their nation in 70 CE for putting trust in an ORGANIZATION.), time with ones loved ones, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring others, our education, your dreams?

  Remember, brothers and sisters, if you would please, put the BIG ROCKS in first or we'll never fill our jar to it's capacity. So, tonight, or in the morning, when you and I reflecting on this stort story, we need to ask ourselves this question: What are the 'BIG ROCKS' in our lives?

  Then, put those in our jar first.

  END OF SERMON

  DA

  **If we have replaced the BIG ROCKS with be a governing body member, a bethelite, a circuit overseer or district overseer, a pioneer, an elder, a ministerial servant, etc., etc., all the important items will never make it into our jar.
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  expatbrit

  I grew fed up being crushed underneath the big rocks that others heaped upon me.

  So I'm smashing my way out of the jar.

  Expatbrit
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  TR

  Those are the kind of rocks that can get inextricable lodged in our minds. DON't let the rocks in!

  TR

  "cults suck"
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  hippikon

  I like to get my rocks off at least once a week
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  riz

  Fortunately our capacity to think and reason isn't confined by any barriers.

  The Mason jar analogy suggests that we have limited capabilities when it comes to learning, like once you have a set of beliefs that you hold to, there isn't any room for growth or adding on of new ideas.

  My belief system is constantly evolving. That's the beauty of being free from a facist control group. We all now have the power to believe what we want to believe and disregard what we don't agree with.

  Embrace your freedom. It's priceless. Don't limit yourself.

  rizzy

  It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
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  outnfree

  I, too, heard this first at a KH talk by a CO.

  As it's application was for time management improvement purposes, that's all fine and dandy. The inference that the SOCIETY will choose for YOU what your Big Rocks are is what is problematic here to me, not the finite confines of the jar. After all, we have no way of knowing precisely how LONG our lives will be, but they will be finite.

  Out only two months, I am struggling with what my "Big Rocks" now are.
  Family, and how I can display my love to them, and taking time to find out what I DO believe in, must be my largest two right now. It is immensely satisfying to me now to know, as riz stated, that I can continue growing and exchanging old beliefs for new ones.
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  safe4kids

  Expatbrit...here, use my hammer!

  hippikon...ME TOO LMAO

  Hey riz and outnfree...I love your posts...and I so agree with you now. You know that old witness saw "keep your eyes on the prize"? Well, isn't it wonderful to have the freedom to look around this beautiful world we live in, to open our minds to new ideas, new people, new attitudes and new behaviours?? If I had to pick only one thing that is best out of all the above, it is the way I am able to raise my children...NO FEAR! And no bulls**t religious teachings...
  I too am trying to figure out what I think and believe about "LIFE" and while I don't have many answers yet, it's such an interesting journey!

  Dana

  "A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle."
  Somebody else
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  DevilsAdvocate_DA

  Expatbrit, TR, hippikon, riz, outnfree, and safe4kids,

  If in fact, as you say, Jehovah God, His Son Jesus Christ and the operation of Jehovahs' holy spirit are not the big rocks in your life, then what do you have to offer that is of more valuable. I believe if you re-read the post, the point was, not people or organization should be the big rocks in our lives, but Jehvoah God, Jesus Christ and the holy spirit. What you translated it to mean is beyond me.

  It is very easy to damn someone for his or her thoughts. But it is another thing to give a person direction that will not bring harm. Your post gave nothing of value but only criticism , sorry, but the truth hurts, does it not.

  Think about this for your nezt post, if you wish.

  I read some of the posters here who have left God and the JW's who say they are happy as a lark. But my question to you is "Where's the beef". Or in plain words, what substance (beef) do you have to offer? I would like to consider it if you have found something better. I try to reason on every post, (there are many intelligent and reasonable posters) to determine what do they have that could make my life better.

  Question number two.

  What kind of people do you think would be drawn to your viewpoint? What BIG ROCKS do you have to offer? Are you holding out on me and other posters?

  DA
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  outnfree

  DA,

  I am sorry I don't live up to your standards. I am struggling mightily right now with my concepts of Jehovah God, Jesus Christ and the holy spirit (former and present). I am, in fact, in a non-denominational Bible study class called "Experiencing God" (written by Baptists, I think). I also attend a local non-denominational church where I attend Sunday School and church fairly regularly. I am reading the Bible without study aids for the first time in many years (which is actually what started my final exit from the WTBTS).

  I understand that you are saying that it is NOT the Society one must worship and that you believe that Jehovah, Jesus and holy spirit should have primacy in our lives, otherwise what is left?

  EXACTLY what I'm struggling with.

  Is the Bible truly inspired? Every word? Or is it just another wisdom book? Not having read other religious wisdom books yet, I don't feel I'm in a position to know.

  I feel that there is a God because I have seen Him act on my behalf.
  Or was it just my concept and belief that He would help that calmed me and allowed my "Higher Me" figure out what the best course would be? I'm still leaning toward God, but a God who is largely disinterested and only responds when it pleases Him. This entire post could seem like blasphemy to some, and utter foolishness to the atheists here.

  I have no "beef" to offer. I would not presume to have the answers for others. I have just left a high-control group and have no wish to control others. I am, however, happy to have this forum as a place to express my ideas, as, I'm sure, you do, DA.

  My post expressed my two big rocks right now as being loving my family and the aforementioned search for a new belief system.

  I do not feel that I loved my non-believing husband in the proper way the entire course of my 11 years as a baptized witness (probably not during the time I spent studying either). Too much deception. Not enough fellow feeling. I have to work to repair that now, and redefine how we interact. Same with my children. Too much conditional love. That must change, but old habits die hard.

  I HAVE Big Rocks, DA. But they are personal. They might not be YOUR Big Rocks but they are meaningful to ME.

  outnfree
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  RipVanWinkle

  OutnFree,

  I feel your pain. I think I can understand what DA is saying too - that we need to minimize the effect that humans have over our lives. I also feel some simile in your position to the book of Ezek. 34 beginning with verse 2. Keeping in mind that this was a denunciation to the Shepherds of Israel who collectively kept their position for a long time.

  Jehovah said, "Woe to the shepherds of Isral, who have become feeders of themselves! (feeding their egos, power seeking, gaining prestige and financial benefit) Is it not the flock that the shepherds ought to feed? The fat is what you eat, and with the wool you clothe your own selves. The plump animal is what you slaughter. The flock itself you do not feed. The sickened ones you have not strengthened and the ailing one you have not healed, and the broken one you have not bandaged, and the dispersed one you have not brought back. and the lost one you have not sought to find, but with HARSHNESS you have had them in subjecting even with TYRANNY. And they were gradually scattered because of there being NO shepherd, so that they became food for every wild beast of the field, and they continued to be scattered. My sheep kept straying on all the mountains and on every high hill, and on all the surface of the earth my sheep were scattered with no one making a search and with no one seeking to
  find."

  How accurately does this portray what is happing in the Org. today. the number of shepherds who are qualified to handle the job properly are so few yet those who are incompetent are made to feel qualified and they hurt and devastate so many people. Jehovah calls these shepherds "no shepherds". Yet the sheep belong to Jehovah and he sees our pain even as he saw in Israel. I believe that he will eventually act as he says in vs. 16: "The lost one I shall search for, and the dispersed one I shall bring back and the broken one I shall bandage and the ailing one I shall strengthen, but the fat one and the strong one I shal annihilate. I shall feed that one with judgment".

  Until that time comes, I am content to continue to study and let the Bible help me to find peace in the thoughts of Jehovah. I try to minimize others influence in my life. Glean what good I can find - wherever I can find it -then allow my trained conscience help me make decisions as I stand before my "Maker".

  RVW