LEARNING TO SEE, part 1
"If the people cannot see where they are going, they will die." (Proverbs 29:18) People can see that they are part of a big plan. It is the way that people think; and it is how we are different from animals. When we see a thing, we understand that it has a past and a future, and we often think about that. We try to put it together with a bigger picture of what is happening.
There are times when we do not know what the big plan is. When this happens, we do things without knowing why we are doing them. In a way, we are acting like we are crazy when we do this. (Romans 1:28) People with this problem will, at times, do things like counting pages in a book, or walking around and around the streets without knowing where they are going. Other people with a mind sickness go to the other side, where they do not do anything. They become very sad about their lives, because they do not know what they should do. Often they will end up killing themselves. They are like the people in the saying at the start of this study: They cannot see where they are going, and they feel like dying.
Most people in the world do much the same things with their lives. (Haggai 1:6) But, because they use their time to make money, the doctors will not say that they are sick. Some people use their whole lives trying to be good in a sport, and they do not stop to think about why this is important to them, or if it really should be important. They do not stop to ask themselves if this is what life is really about. Some people use their lives to make their country look good, but they do not look at the bigger plan for the whole world. They forget that adding to their own country often takes away from other countries. Others work hard to find more people who will join their religion. They finish up fighting with other people who are trying to do the same thing for their religion. These people, too, need to see a bigger plan.
We believe that there is a big plan that will help the whole world, and it will make every part of our lives work together well. Truth can come in many shapes, but all of the shapes will fit together into this one big whole. Sadly, the world today is full of people who cannot see the bigger picture. They are like blind men who argue over the little pieces of truth that they have. (Matthew 15:14) Five blind men tried to talk about elephants. One touched the tail and said an elephant is like a rope. One touched a leg and said an elephant is like a tree. One touched an ear and said an elephant is like a blanket. One touched the stomach and said an elephant is like a wall. And one touched the nose and said an elephant is like a very big snake. They were all right, but they did not listen to each other to see the whole truth. They were blind to the bigger picture. If we are honest and humble, we will see that we do not have all of the answers. When we are honest about this, we will learn more than the people who think they know it all, and who do not listen to others because of it.
If you are a leader, ask questions to see if your followers can see the truth that you have been trying to show them. Some followers agree with the group without understanding why the group is doing what it is doing. Many religious groups had a very good reason for starting, but after a short time, people in the group started working for the group and not for the reasons that the group had when it first started.
Jesus talked about an invisible group (or kingdom) that no one can see. (Luke 17:20-21) He said that this was the plan that he was trying to teach us to finish. Today people fight and kill, and they say that they are working for this invisible kingdom. But an honest person can see that they are only working for their RELIGION. The invisible group that Jesus was talking about was not a religion. (John 4:21-24; Romans 14:17-20) If you really want to know the truth, you will not be happy with a little piece of truth from one group. You will want to see more and more of the pieces, and you will want to put them together to help you see the plan for the whole world, and for all of life. (Philippians 3:12-14) What is your reason for living? Are there some questions that you do not have answers for? Will you listen if someone has answers for your questions?
When you can see that you do not have all of the answers, it is the first step in finding the answers. If you want to see better, the first step is to know that you do not see as well as you would like to see. (John 9:41)
It is good to talk to other people about the questions that you do not have answers for. (James 5:16) You may want to write to us about them. We will try to help without saying that we have all of the answers.
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