breaks in it. What about the times we set aside for personal study? Is it not just as important to maintain our intake of spiritual nutrition by regularly reading and studying the Bible? This regularity cannot be overemphasized when it comes to peering into the perfect law, as James admonished: “But he who peers into the perfect law that belongs to freedom and who persists in it, this man, because he has become, not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, will be happy in his doing it.” (Jas. 1:25) Actual satisfaction and joy will become one’s possession by persistently acquiring information, if one is not a forgetful hearer, and one will advance to maturity. Happiness does not only come with acquisition of knowledge, but comes by also being able to tell others so they too can share the same gladness of heart. Sharing happiness brings more happiness, just as the reward for good works is more work and responsibility for the Christian minister.

MATURITY—A LIFETIME GOAL

19. (a) What will aid our progress toward maturity? (b) What examples illustrate means of developing maturity?

¹⁹ The steady diet of personal study enhances one’s ability to understand clearly, and that matures the individual. Budgeting of time includes making time to speak truth to others. Notice what Paul says about speaking the truth at Ephesians 4:15, when he writes: “Speaking the truth, let us by love grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ.” When we are speaking the truth and explaining a point of God’s Word to someone else, it is interesting to note how that matures the thought and depth of appreciation of that particular subject in one’s own mind. Have you ever noticed how much better you retain the thoughts of any given Watchtower study when you have made comment on a particular paragraph? That thought is embedded in your mind much more deeply than even by listening to others comment. Obviously, through the latter we benefit too, but not nearly so much as when we talk, or express ourselves on the subject. This can be illustrated very well in the Theocratic Ministry School when a mature minister delivers a talk on one of the books of the Bible. It will be very beneficial to the listeners, but the speaker will have it much more indelibly fixed in his mind because he will have gone over it thoroughly and, through intensive practice, made it his own. Many times you have heard the expression after such a talk, ‘My, I wish I knew every book of the Bible as well as the one book upon which I have given a talk.’ The extra effort put forth in study, practice and imparting information to others is valuable as another stepping-stone to maturity.

20. (a) What did Paul consider the amount of progress in his pursuit of his goal, and what suggestion did he offer for others? (b) How can one advance to maturity with years? and with what result?

²⁰ We all readily recognize the maturity of the apostle Paul, but even then the thoughts that he expressed to the Philippians illustrated that he had not reached the zenith. He related how it is a continuous progressive process: “I do not yet consider myself as having laid hold of it; but there is one thing about it: Forgetting the things behind and stretching forward to the things ahead, I am pursuing down toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God by means of Christ Jesus. Let us, then, as many of us as are mature, be of this mental attitude; and if you are mentally inclined otherwise in any respect, God will reveal the above attitude to you. At any rate, to what extent we have made progress, let us go on walking orderly in this same routine.” (Phil. 3:13-16) Yes, maturity is a lifetime proposition. Just for an example, we see a young man who has applied his mind diligently through his adolescent years and has studied carefully until the time he is thirty. He has acquired a great deal of knowledge through personal study up till this time. He may be considered a mature man; he may be a circuit or district overseer, or have an overseership in one of the branch offices. But let that man continue to study another ten years, and then see how much more he has gained by the time he is forty. If he continues the same procedure for another ten years, just think how much more progress he will have made at fifty, and then sixty years of age. Along with this maturing process, which is a lifetime job, his joy grows and his appreciation and satisfaction increase, and the same is true of anyone who studies diligently and never relents. He can reach the position of a “full-grown man.”

Exercising Maturity—A Safeguard

“You will walk in security on your way, and even your foot will not strike against anything . . . For Jehovah himself will prove to be, in effect, your confidence, and he will certainly keep your foot against capture.”—Prov. 3:23-26.

1. Why is mature thinking and judgment of such great value to us today, and what will it enable us to do?

POSSESSING mature thinking and judgment is of great value to the person who seeks to do God’s will, enabling him to thwart the continual bombardment of temptations that are constantly striking him in this old order of things. The threats to Christian integrity in these wicked days at the end of this system of things are materialism, backbiting, reviling, extortion, immorality and misuse of blood. The rising emotional floods of nationalism bring increased political demands on the Christian to direct his worship to national standards and his loyalty and life to the State. In addition to this, there is the barrage of commercial inducements to seek a life of ease, luxury, to trust in materialism, to make money rapidly by sharp practices, on the borderline between legality and outright cheating. ‘The question immediately arises, “What will be my decision when these temptations confront me?” Does the one giving thought to these matters always know what he would do, or, at times, are there some doubts in his mind, be they ever so small?

2. How will observance of Jesus’ words at John 14:15 ‘keep guard over us’?

² In view of the pressures we must endure, it is necessary to use every faculty to maintain integrity. Jesus showed this principle in these words: “If you love me, you will observe my commandments.” Obviously, then, to overcome temptations of the world, love and obedience to Jehovah are vitally essential. Continually wanting to come into harmony with Jehovah’s Word will constitute a safeguard. One’s thinking ability has been enhanced by continual study and advancement to maturity. It “will keep guard over you.”—John 14:15; Prov. 2:11.

3. (a) Why is study so vital throughout our entire lives? (b) Why is it so urgent now?

³ Exercising maturity will be a safeguard