I Have A Confession To Make...

[Timl1980]

I...I am addicted to my cell phone!

 

There...I said it...I finally got it off my chest!

 

I cannot tell you how many times a day I look at it...nor could I begin to describe the feeling I get when I think I have lost it...even for a moment.

 

It affects everything in my life...from my phone calls to my text messages to our JW app...and I could go on and on and on...

 

I have to admit...I cannot tell you the last time that I sat down and really truly watched a full movie or tv show...within minutes or even seconds my phone is in my hand and there I am...scrolling through, (pick a subject and fill the void), whatever subject has caught my attention.

 

And...most sadly of all...both my wife and I will be sitting in the same room and still we end up scrolling or playing games on our phones, (she plays Tetris and a few other such games, I play online chess almost constantly). 

 

I know we should have "cell phone free" times...and we do...on occasion.

 

But more often than not...we seem to find those pesky devices creeping back into our hands...and then...after a few minutes of perfunctory grunts and half hearted attempts at conversation...we descend back into the chaos that is: the cellphone.

 

So...as I usually do when I have a problem that I cannot tackle alone...I reached out to a brother, an elder who has known me both in and out of prison. We talked for over an hour on the phone...and low and behold...I am not alone. 

 

He informed me that a LOT of the friends struggled with similar issues...and took me to a biblical account that, coupled with his eye opening comments on this account, set my teeth on edge and sent me reeling...spiraling down a rabbit hole of thoughts and emotions that have admittedly unsettled me a little...and so I chose to sit down at my keyboard and allow it to come spilling out of my head and onto my screen...just in case any of you have ever had the same problem.

 

Numbers 11:4-6: "The mixed crowd who were in their midst then expressed selfish longing, and the Israelites too began to weep again and say: “Who will give us meat to eat? 5 How fondly we remember the fish that we used to eat without cost in Egypt, also the cucumbers, the watermelons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic! 6 But now we are withering away. We see nothing at all except this manna.”

 

I have read this account many times...indeed I have study notes on these verses in particular.

 

He had me read them again...and then asked me to consider the following: After the Israelites had been delivered from slavery...they had, in a way...passed from an "old" system to a "new" system...and shortly after their delivery...the "vast mixed crowd" who had left with them began stirring up selfish longing among Jehovah's people...and then this loving brother opened my eyes.

 

"Look closely at what they were longing after, Tim! The cucumbers, the watermelons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic!" 

 

I re read it, and then he paused and said, "Okay...now replace those things with...cell phone, car, washer, dryer and so on and so forth...do you get it yet?"

 

It clicked...and then he added..."We don't know if any of those things are going to be in our new system or not...we only know from the Bible the things that definitely ARE going to be there...peace, abundance of food, no more sickness or death...and so on." 

 

I was silent, piecing all of this together...and he went on, "Now...every single one of us who have read this account look at the Israelites and think: Wait a minute!! You didn't eat all that "without cost"!! You were slaves!! Jehovah liberated you from all of that. How dare you not show appreciation for what Jehovah has done for you?!"

 

That's when this brother hit me with a lightning bolt.

 

"Just think about it for a minute, Tim. What if we get into the new system and some, or even all...of those items that we take for granted each day...simply aren't in use anymore? Can you imagine how easy it would be for some to start complaining in the same manner? After all, we won't have perfect minds right away...that will take some of us 1,000 years to cultivate and "grow" into."

 

Again, I was silent...because in all honesty...I could definitely picture myself feeling that way...even if I never dared to utter the words aloud. Yes, we would be grateful just to be there...but human nature is still human nature...even without Satan's influence. 

 

The brother interrupted my musing with a final thought, "Imagine some who make it or even some who are resurrected saying, "We miss our cell phones! We are sick of washing clothes by hand...why can't we just fire up a generator and use that washer laying over there?? I'm SICK of walking everywhere...I had a Ford F350 in the old world...remember how powerful it was? Things weren't THAT bad back then!" "

 

"Can you imagine, Tim...that some brothers and sisters could actually talk about things from the past and ignore or downplay the fact that this old world was awash with death, sadness, futility...overflowing with wickedness...and plagued by Satan and his demons?"

 

All of that...just from a conversation about my cell phone addiction. 

 

But to be honest...his words have been really making me re-think a few things. I do not know what will or will not be present in the new system...I only know that I never want to lose my appreciation for my God and for all that ending this old world will do for all mankind and the heavens as well.

 

Keeping that firmly in mind, I will attempt from now on to put my phone down more often and focus on things I KNOW will be in the new system...starting with my brothers and sisters...and the creation around me.

Edited December 15, 2023 by Timl1980

[Stormswift]

Funny you say that. I think a lot of us are to varying degrees.  So I took up diamond painting but then ended up listening to music or talks while doing it. So does that count? 

[computerwiz]

4 hours ago, Timl1980 said:

I...I am addicted to my cell phone!

 

You and just about every other warm-blooded human being.  It's sad but true.  This little story here hits even harder:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Qapla]

7 hours ago, Timl1980 said:

I finally got it off my chest!

 

Do you usually wear it on a lanyard or lay down with it sitting there most of the time?

 

 

Edited December 16, 2023 by Qapla

[Timl1980]

5 hours ago, Stormswift said:

Funny you say that. I think a lot of us are to varying degrees.  So I took up diamond painting but then ended up listening to music or talks while doing it. So does that count? 

 

I would say no, I'm talking specifically about being unable to put your cell phone down for very long. I would love to see some pictures of your diamond painting though, it sounds really cool!

[Timl1980]

4 hours ago, computerwiz said:

You and just about every other warm-blooded human being.  It's sad but true.  This little story here hits even harder:

Wow! Those were really good! And sad but true. I try to think of others, but oftentimes my cell phone wins out. It is so weird how an inanimate object could pull my affections in a completely different direction... but it has happened before. So, thank you for the awesome reminders!!

[Timl1980]

1 hour ago, Qapla said:

Do you usually wear it on a lanyard or lay down with it sitting there most of the time?

 

Most of the time around my neck as a lanyard...but sometimes even a self ridiculer needs help... so I just lay down and stretch out and let it fall across my chest 🤣

[Qapla]

3 hours ago, Timl1980 said:

I just lay down and stretch out and let it fall across my chest

 

Yeah, but you must rolled over or something because you said you "finally got it off my chest!" ... so where do you wear/keep the phone now?

[Timl1980]

6 hours ago, Qapla said:

Yeah, but you must rolled over or something because you said you "finally got it off my chest!" ... so where do you wear/keep the phone now?

Well, besides the turn of phrase meaning...I was once rolled over physically by my wife for not paying attention to something she was saying. 🤣 That had the potential to be a defining moment in where I kept it...and the answer would be now down low by my side I suppose...in hopes she won't see it.🤣😂 But mostly it's now in my pocket🤪

[Prism]

One thing you could do is download some ebooks on your phone and read them instead of scrolling through social media whenever you're waiting for something (like an appointment) and have nothing with you but your phone. That's what I've been doing. Also if you're like me and constantly think of random stuff to search up throughout the day, you could create a "List of things to search up" in a note-taking app and write down those thoughts every time they pop up. I use Google Keep for that so I could easily do it regardless of which device I'm on. 

[LeolaRootStew]

I have had long discussions about this very topic. Whenever I see a Bible character stumble I try to imagine what similar test I could face/be tempted by. I imagined Armageddon survivors would complain about food as well (just think of what it will be like when we run out of Twinkies).

 

My idea of the level of technology has changed ever since the FS said that they may have to finish filming the Gospel According to Jesus in the New System, implying there will be a considerable amount of technology at our disposal. But even if I imagined I would have my tablet or phone, I know I won't have the same apps available. I would lose all of my games, contacts, my notes in the JW app, everything. I sit with that feeling and really try to imagine what it would do to me and what would really hurt to lose and why; and honestly, I think I'll be ok.

 

Repetitive games like chess (for me it's match-3 games) are easy to give up because they are merely distractions and in the New System we will be SO busy. For long-term games (like the Sims) that I've unlocked and built up the game over many years, I know it will sting a little to lose, but again, once I am busy doing something of real value I know I won't miss it. It's shallow.

 

I won't be waiting around for someone to send me a message on social media and I won't be refreshing this forum 10 times a day, because i'll be busy! So what else do I truly need by device for besides studying for meetings? Now maybe if we had to start looking up scriptures manually again I'd be prone to grumble. "Back in my day we just clicked a link", I'd tell the youth (just kidding, I'd keep it to myself).

 

Phones give us a dopamine hit when we get notifications and use certain app features, so it can truly be an addiction, but after Armageddon, are you really going to be worried about addictions? Won't Jehovah help? I wouldn't worry about how it will feel to lose it in the future (we will cope somehow), but I do think you should do some research on phone addiction and start trying to break free (or at least set boundaries). I would write down every single thing you like about using your phone (every app, every game) and write next to it how you would feel to lose it and how it would impact your life. Be honest, most things you don't need. Then I would set limits on which hours of the day you absolutely don't need your phone - AND STICK TO IT (with your wife). You can train yourself over time to have more self-control. 💜

[Qapla]

I will have to admit, my phone is close to my heart .............

.......................................

............. since I carry it in my shirt pocket

 

 

Edited December 16, 2023 by Qapla

[Paulo]

On 12/15/2023 at 4:34 PM, Timl1980 said:

I...I am addicted to my cell phone!

 

[...]

 

And...most sadly of all...both my wife and I will be sitting in the same room and still we end up scrolling or playing games on our phones, (she plays Tetris and a few other such games, I play online chess almost constantly).

 

First make a pray to Jehovah, a very simple and short one will be enough.

For the games part, pick the game that you play the most, the one that steals your time more, and uninstall it.

Mechanically, without overthinking too much, just uninstall it.

 

Then enjoy a couple of days of peace before moving on to the next thieve.

 

For messaging apps try to turn off the wifi and/or data connections and put the cellphone in airplane mode after a certain hour, like 18h00 or 19h00

 

Jehovah will help you to get there.