Dependence, Independent Thinking, Reliance, and Spirit of Independence

Next: Self-Esteem

The Watchtower magazine, February 1, 1952, page 79

If we do not see a point at first we should keep trying to grasp it, rather than opposing and rejecting it and presumptuously taking the position that we are more likely to be right than the discreet slave. We should meekly go along with the Lord’s theocratic organization and wait for further clarification, rather than balk at the first mention of a thought unpalatable to us and proceed to quibble and mouth our criticisms and opinions as though they were worth more than the slave’s provision of spiritual food. Theocratic ones will appreciate the Lord’s visible organization and not be so foolish as to pit against Jehovah’s channel their own human reasoning and sentiment and personal feelings.

The Watchtower magazine, November 15, 1957, page 699

They therefore cannot afford to stay away from congregational meetings and other assemblies. They must build up their sense of togetherness, of belongingness, and of the mutual dependence and need.

The Watchtower magazine, May 15, 1963, page 300

We need to understand Jehovah’s Bible and also respect the judgment, authority and instructions of the New World society. They will discipline us, guiding us in all the issues and problems of life to take a course that will be in accordance with and not in violation of the Word of God.

The Watchtower magazine, June 1, 1964, page 331

Pride, a strong ego, the spirit of this world and a growing tendency today to figure everything out for oneself and to believe only what one can see cause the spirit of independence to take root.

The Watchtower magazine, May 1, 1964, page 277

Why should such care be exercised in our study of the columns of The Watchtower, and of our application of the Scripture texts to the material under consideration? It is through the columns of The Watchtower that Jehovah provides direction and constant Scriptural counsel to his people, and it requires careful study and attention to details in order to apply this information, to get a full understanding of the principles involved, and to assure ourselves of right thinking on these matters. It is in this way that we “are thoroughly able to grasp mentally with all the holy ones” the fullness of our commission and of the preaching responsibility that Jehovah has placed on all Christians as footstep followers of his Son. Any other course would produce independent thinking and cause division.

The Watchtower magazine, July 1, 1964, page 400

Surely it is obvious that we must forego such a spirit of independence, however much we may have indulged it in the past… If we are not willing to be gathered under that righteous administration in the spirit of submission and loyal devotion, then, wittingly or unwittingly, we shall find ourselves gathered together with the opposing forces marching to Armageddon under Satan’s leadership to fight against God the Almighty.

The Watchtower magazine, June 1, 1966, page 324

Today, too, there are those who, by their independent thinking, question Christ’s ability to have and use on the earth a specially appointed governing body of imperfect humans, to whom he has entrusted all the Kingdom interests or “belongings” on earth…

“Do you look at it that way?” Then he continued: “If you do, then you are being infected by that spirit of independence with which Satan is infecting the whole world.”…

Selfish insistence upon intellectual freedom leads one into slavery to sin.

The Watchtower magazine, June 1, 1967, page 337

Of course, effort is needed. There are four things we must do to perfect obedience that will move us ahead: (1) Study of God’s Word; (2) zeal and effort in applying the things learned to our life and ministry; (3) continually seeking and following the lead of Jehovah’s holy spirit; (4) receiving help from other brothers in the organization. There are no shortcuts.

How will we put these four things into effect? First, study: We may think of study as hard work, as involving heavy research. But in Jehovah’s organization it is not necessary to spend a lot of time and energy in research, for there are brothers in the organization who are assigned to do that very thing, to help you who do not have so much time for this, these preparing the good material in The Watchtower and other publications of the Society.

The Watchtower magazine, December 1, 1968, page 724

Others may cultivate some personal like and, because it is not acknowledged at once, they find fault and begin to doubt Jehovah’s backing of his “faithful and discreet slave.” Some slack off in their worship and, being under constant bombardment by the spirit of independence and rebellion in this old system of things, they do not have the strength to keep doubts out of their thinking.

Awake! magazine, May 22, 1971, page 6

The Spirit of Independence

Instead of proving that such course of self-determination is right, this argument actually illustrates why individuals or even entire societies really are not qualified to determine the standards by which men shall live.

The Watchtower magazine, June 1, 1982, page 23

But how can we today ‘watch’ Christ, since he is invisible? We ‘watch’ him in the sense that we discern his signals as given through his visible “slave” appointee over all the earthly interests of his kingdom. (Matthew 24:45-47) Through this spirit-appointed channel his direction and strategy are communicated to all who are his “soldiers.” These latter cannot afford to move ahead on their own or become impatient because their view of things is not coming to pass. The timing of matters is provided by our invisible Commander. His view is the important consideration, not our own personal views.

United in Worship of the Only True God (1983)

So as not to mar that precious unity, we must avoid divisive influences. One of the foremost among these is the spirit of independence. Jehovah helps us to avoid it by unmasking its originator, Satan the Devil… We are living in a world that is saturated with that independent spirit, so it should not surprise us if we need to curb that spirit in ourselves. Lovingly Jehovah helps us to do so by counsel through his organization.

The Watchtower magazine, January 15, 1983, pages 22 and 27

Avoid Independent Thinking

How is such independent thinking manifested? A common way is by questioning the counsel that is provided by God’s visible organization…

Fight Against Independent Thinking

As we study the Bible we learn that Jehovah has always guided his servants in an organized way. And just as in the first century there was only one true Christian organization, so today Jehovah is using only one organization. (Ephesians 4:4, 5; Matthew 24:45-47) Yet there are some who point out that the organization has had to make adjustments before, and so they argue: “This shows that we have to make up our own mind on what to believe.” This is independent thinking. Why is it so dangerous?

Such thinking is an evidence of pride. And the Bible says: “Pride is before a crash, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.” (Proverbs 16:18) If we get to thinking that we know better than the organization, we should ask ourselves: “Where did we learn Bible truth in the first place? Would we know the way of the truth if it had not been for guidance from the organization? Really, can we get along without the direction of God’s organization?” No, we cannot!—Compare Acts 15:2, 28, 29; 16:4, 5.

When we consider the mighty spirit forces who are fighting against us, we must acknowledge that on our own we could not possibly win. Yet with God’s backing, and with the help and support of his organization—our worldwide association of brothers—we cannot lose. (Psalm 118:6-12; 1 Peter 5:9) However, we must never forget that we are in a spiritual war, and that wartime is no time to be relaxing, enjoying only leisure and the pleasures of life. Rather, it is the time for vigorous training, alertness and self-sacrifice. The enemy has been able to get some from among us to relax their guard, and these have become battle casualties.

The Watchtower magazine, November 1, 1985, page 7

Expressions such as these may indicate a spirit of independence. Sometimes these words can even be heard coming from the lips of Christians…

The spirit of independence was introduced by Satan the Devil…

The foregoing facts should help us appreciate a basic truth: In order to have a successful and delightful way of life, man must depend on God for guidance…

Those submitting to Jehovah’s guidance will be rewarded with everlasting life on an earth filled with people who have the Christlike personality.

The Watchtower magazine, July 1, 1986, page 19

Yet, even within the Christian congregation, a spirit of independence has sometimes been manifested by a few. They may chafe at the discipline of the elders. A few show disrespect toward “the faithful and discreet slave” class and its Governing Body.

The Watchtower magazine, July 15, 1987, page 19

Because Jehovah God does not give his holy spirit apart from his Word, and we cannot hope to receive holy spirit if we ignore the earthly channel Jehovah is using today, “the faithful and discreet slave,” represented by the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Without help from this “slave,” we would neither be able to understand the full import of what we read nor know how to apply what we learn.​

The Watchtower magazine, October 1, 1988, page 27

Additionally, man’s spirit of independence makes him prefer to go his own way rather than look to a Higher Power for guidance.

The Watchtower magazine, September 15, 1989, page 23

Be Obedient to Those Taking the Lead

As one lecturer said: “The rising education level has improved the talent pool such that followers have become so critical that they are almost impossible to lead.” But a spirit of independent thinking does not prevail in God’s organization, and we have sound reasons for confidence in the men taking the lead among us.

The Watchtower magazine, June 15, 2001, page 26

Brother Lösch concluded by saying: “In order to remain spiritually protected, we must remain under the wings of Jehovah. This means that we must not develop a spirit of independence. Let us always stay close to Jehovah and his motherlike organization, not separating ourselves from their direction and loving counsel.”

Kingdom Ministry, September 2002, page 8

God’s Appointed Channel: Bear in mind that our heavenly Father has an appointed channel of communication, “the faithful and discreet slave.” That “slave” has the responsibility to determine what information is made available to the household of faith, as well as “the proper time” for it to be dispensed. This spiritual food is available only through the theocratic organization. We should always look to God’s appointed channel for reliable information, not to a network of Internet users.

The Watchtower magazine, May 1, 2006, page 19

After praying for holy spirit, they base their decisions on Bible principles and on guidelines published by “the faithful and discreet slave.” (Matthew 24:45-47; 1 Corinthians 4:6) Once a Scripturally sound decision has been made by the body of elders, each elder yields to the direction of holy spirit by supporting that decision even if his personal opinion was not endorsed by the majority. Such modesty promotes joy and peace and sets a fine example for the sheep in how to walk with God. (Micah 6:8) Are you modestly cooperating with the Bible-based decisions made by the shepherds in the congregation?

The Watchtower magazine, July 15, 2006, page 22

In modern times, a very small number among God’s people have become disgruntled with some aspect of Christian teaching and have murmured against the earthly part of Jehovah’s organization. Why does this happen? Such murmuring is often caused by a lack of understanding of God’s way of doing things. The Creator progressively reveals the truth to his people. Hence, our understanding of the Scriptures is bound to be refined from time to time. The vast majority of Jehovah’s people rejoice over such refinements. A few become “righteous overmuch” and resent the changes. (Ecclesiastes 7:16) Pride may play a role, and some fall into the trap of independent thinking. Whatever the reason, such murmuring is hazardous, since it can draw us back into the world and its ways…

What if we are tempted to murmur because of having doubts about certain teachings that Jehovah’s people hold in common? Then let us not be impatient. The ‘faithful slave’ may eventually publish something that answers our questions and clears up our doubts. It is wise to seek the help of Christian elders. (Jude 22, 23) Prayer, personal study, and association with spiritually-minded fellow believers can also help to remove doubts and can deepen our appreciation for the faith-strengthening Bible truths we have learned through Jehovah’s channel of communication.

Kingdom Ministry, September 2007

Throughout the earth, Jehovah’s people are receiving ample spiritual instruction and encouragement at congregation meetings, assemblies, and conventions, as well as through the publications of Jehovah’s organization…Thus, “the faithful and discreet slave” does not endorse any literature, meetings, or Web sites that are not produced or organized under its oversight…For those who wish to do extra Bible study and research, we recommend that they explore Insight on the Scriptures, “All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial,” and our other publications

The Watchtower magazine, November 15, 2009, page 14

That spirit can cause us to think that we do not need guidance from Jehovah’s organization…We need to guard against developing a spirit of independence. By word or action, may we never challenge the channel of communication that Jehovah is using today. (Num. 16:1-3) On the contrary, we should cherish our privilege to cooperate with the slave class.

The Watchtower magazine, November 15, 2011, page 8

How do you make weighty decisions in life? Do you perhaps decide first and then pray to Jehovah to bless the decision you have made? …When making decisions, especially those that may affect our spirituality, should we not rely on Jehovah rather than lean upon our own understanding?

The Watchtower magazine, February 15, 2012, page 6

If we rely on our own thinking, especially when we face serious problems, we are likely to endanger ourselves and those we love.

Keep Yourselves in God’s Love, 2014, page 193

As another example, consider the spirit of independence that permeates Satan’s world. Many are “headstrong, puffed up with pride.” (2 Timothy 3:4) If such a spirit were to corrupt our thinking, our view of submission and obedience might become distorted. Infected by this spirit, a brother might chafe at counsel from the elders.

Next: Self-Esteem