²⁷ The unbalanced Christian is just the opposite. He is immoderate in his habits and unwise in his decisions. He is stubborn, not being open to agreement. His mouth is open to spout his own wisdom but his ears are closed to the wise counsel from his Christian brothers. Unless he changes and follows a reasonable and moderate course of thinking and living he will not be able to maintain his footing on the narrow way to life.

SOCIAL INTERESTS

28, 29. (a) What is the sixth symptom of unbalance, and why is it bad? (b) What is the proper viewpoint?

²⁸ The sixth listed principal symptom revealing the lack of proper balance is the placing of social interests ahead of theocratic interests. Certainly the person who thinks his social activities must come before his duties in the ministry has an improper mental attitude toward his Christian responsibilities and obligations. His evaluation of what is important is warped. He is ignoring his promise to put God’s will first in his life. He foolishly puts personal entertainment ahead of his service to God.

²⁹ Social activities have their time and place. They should not be allowed to infringe upon congregational activities. The balanced Christian will allot them a reasonable amount of time and attention, but no more. He will do the same with any hobbies he may have. At all times he will put his Christian activities foremost.

30. What should all in the New World society do?

³⁰ All in the New World society should take a close look at themselves to see if they have any of these or other symptoms of unbalance. Do not be convinced you do not have them before you begin the examination. Those who are so sure of themselves are often the very ones who are not spiritually balanced in all things. If a weakness is spotted, work on it.

HOW TO BECOME BALANCED

31, 32. (a) Why must a positive attitude be cultivated? (b) What was Paul’s viewpoint?

³¹ The tightwire walker does not step out on his wire confident that he will fall. He has instead a positive attitude. The same is necessary for the Christian. The right mental attitude is very important to cultivating steadiness. If he takes a negative attitude toward his responsibilities as a Christian minister or toward the difficulties and hardships that come with following the way of Christian integrity, he will lose his balance and fall. If he wants to stand it is essential for him to have the same positive mental attitude the apostle Paul had. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor governments nor things here nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor any other creation will be able to separate us from God’s love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”—Rom. 8:38, 39.

³² Paul had the right viewpoint. He was determined to stay on the narrow road to life. He would let nothing stumble him and cause him to fall, neither influences outside his body nor those inside it. “The way I am running is not uncertainly; the way I am directing my blows is so as not to be striking the air; but I browbeat my body and lead it as a slave, that, after I have preached to others, I myself should not become disapproved somehow.”—1 Cor. 9:26, 27.

33, 34. How does one cultivate Paul’s attitude and maintain it?

³³ Gaining this right mental attitude does not come without effort. It requires diligent study of God’s Word and an accurate knowledge of it. It requires a genuine heart desire to walk in harmony with God’s expressed and righteous principles. What a person learns he must take into his heart and make it a part of him. He must meditate upon his relationship to Jehovah and to the theocratic organization. “Ponder over these things, be absorbed in them, that your advancement may be manifest to all persons. Pay constant attention to yourself and to your teaching. Stay by these things, for by doing this you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.”—1 Tim. 4:15, 16.

³⁴ By paying constant attention to himself a person watches his mental attitude, making sure that it is not becoming negative or sour. If it is he will not stay for long by the Scriptural things he has learned. He will soon fall from the narrow way to life. That is why Paul gave this admonition to be absorbed in Scriptural truths and godly service and to watch oneself. He gave similar counsel to the Hebrews when he said: “That is why it is necessary for us to pay more than the usual attention to the things heard by us, that we may never drift away.”—Heb. 2:1.

35. Why should imperfections and mistakes in the organization and fellow Christians be overlooked?

³⁵ Another factor in cultivating a right mental attitude is being able to overlook imperfections in the Christian organization and faults in fellow Christians. Although God’s spirit operates on the organization, it does not govern every decision and every movement of the human overseers. These men are free moral agents who are left to make decisions they feel are best for the New World society. They are mature Christians who are capable of letting God’s Word and its principles guide them in making wise decisions. But if one should mistakenly make an unwise decision, that should be no reason for a person to become disgruntled and sour. It should not cause him to criticize the whole organization because of this one overseer. It is no reason to become cynical. A well-balanced Christian will overlook mistakes and imperfections. He will remember that he is serving God, not men. And he will remember that except for Christ God has always used imperfect men to care for his interests in the earth. These have been men with a good heart condition and with a zealous desire to advance divine interests. Being imperfect, some have made mistakes, but their mistakes are no reason for a person to reject the theocratic organization and go back to the world. It has the words of life, not the world.

36. What viewpoint will a Christian take with regard to mistakes by others?

³⁶ A stable Christian knows what God’s Word says, he knows what the theocratic organization is doing, and he knows the future that lies ahead of it. Like the apostle Paul he will have a positive mental attitude, allowing nothing to dampen his love for God and his zeal for Kingdom service. Because he is not a victim of creature worship he will not stumble when an overseer makes a mistake or a wrong decision or acts indiscreetly. He will leave it to the organization to rectify such mistakes. But as for him, he will continue keeping his eye on the goal of life. He will allow nothing to distract him. The mental attitude he wants is a loving attitude with singleness of purpose. He will show understanding and reasonableness and will not be easily offended.

37, 38. What is the best way to avoid a bad mental attitude?

³⁷ A person is greatly helped in cultivating a right mental attitude if he keeps his mind on what is good and upbuilding. This again is a matter of thinking positively and not negatively. Good advice is given in this regard at Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are of serious concern, whatever things are righteous, whatever things are chaste, whatever things are lovable, whatever things are well spoken of, whatever virtue there is and whatever praiseworthy thing there is, continue considering these things.”

³⁸ If a person follows this advice he will not become cynical or hypercritical about the organization and his fellow Christians. His mind will be on the good things of God’s Word and on the constructive work the New World society is doing world-wide. He will be firm in the faith.

39. What will the well-balanced Christian guard against?

³⁹ In all things the well-balanced Christian guards against selfishness. He grows in love, not for himself, but for God and for his fellow Christians. When counsel is given him he humbly accepts it. He knows that “the way of the foolish one is right in his own eyes, but the one listening to counsel is wise.”—Prov. 12:15.

MODERATION

40. (a) Why should one not lean toward ideas of asceticism? (b) What course will one take?

⁴⁰ A Christian cannot afford to be an extremist in anything he does. The course that is reasonable and moderate is always best. Some think the godly man should live in poverty, that he should deny himself reasonable material comforts and pleasures; but this is a wrong conclusion. Mortifying one’s body does not bring God’s approval. Those who think it does are following a line of thought that is not Scriptural but pagan, for it is common with Hindus and Buddhists. There is nothing in the Bible that justifies this idea of asceticism. The balanced Christian is capable of using material things in a reasonable way, not only for his own interests but also for God’s. He can use such things wisely and does not have to deny himself their comforts and pleasures to gain God’s approval. He will not lean to the one extreme of asceticism or to the other extreme of materialism and overindulgence, but will be moderate. The wise counsel given in the Bible to overseers well expresses the Christian position: “The overseer should therefore be irreprehensible, . . . moderate in habits.”—1 Tim. 3:2.

41, 42. What balance should be sought in the ministry?

⁴¹ Moderation in the habits of personal study and preaching are not overlooked by the effective minister. He is not the one who neglects personal study to devote a high number of hours in the ministry. Neither does he go to the other extreme, giving much time to study but little time to preaching. He knows that study is needed to reap the best results from his preaching activity as well as to stand firm in Christian integrity. The moderate course of balancing field work with personal study is the wise one to follow.

⁴² As the Christian grows in knowledge and maturity, so does his effectiveness as a minister. Since this brings better results and greater joys he will want to increase his preaching activity. He will not be satisfied with a meager service but will want to do as much as he can. The incentive for greater activity will come from his own heart. None of the many features of the ministry will be neglected by him, but he will seek to be balanced in them just as he has balanced his preaching with his personal study. His moderation makes him an efficient minister, doing much good with Scriptural truths.

43. (a) Why will some improve in spiritual balance but others not? (b) Why can a person not afford to be indifferent?

⁴³ What have been mentioned are ways a dedicated Christian can cultivate good spiritual balance. Some who are spiritually unsteady in the New World society will make an effort to use them and will improve their balance. Others will not. Do the indifferent ones imagine they can stumble along and not fall from the narrow way of Christian integrity? Do they think that, merely attending an occasional meeting and occasionally preaching in the field, they will succeed in reaching the end of that narrow road and receive the gift of eternal life? If they do they entertain a mistaken view. Let them imagine how easily they can slip from a thin tightwire, and they will realize how easy it is to slip from the narrow way of Christian integrity. They cannot afford to be indifferent. Their continued existence depends upon their making every effort to become balanced in all things.

Maintaining Good Balance

“Brace up your minds for activity, keep completely balanced and set your hope upon the undeserved kindness that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”—1 Pet. 1:13.

1. How is the Bible a guide?

THE Bible contains good counsel and principles that were written down at Jehovah’s direction. They were provided as a guide for us, showing us the way we ought to go, the way that is for our good, the way that leads to eternal life. That is why the apostle Paul said: “All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.”—2 Tim. 3:16, 17.

2, 3. What are some of the ways a Christian should copy Christ?

² If a person makes no effort to learn and apply what is in God’s Word, how can he become fully competent in the ministry? How can he be equipped to do the work God has commanded Christians to do? How can he make a claim of even being Christian? A Christian is one who follows Christ, one who walks in his footsteps. At no time did he ignore the Scriptures or neglect the ministry.

³ As he walked the way of Christian integrity he had perfect balance and was steadfast in his loyalty to God. Nothing could move him from that way. His followers today must have the same steadfastness if they wish to maintain Christian balance. “Consequently, my beloved brothers, become steadfast, unmovable, always having plenty to do in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in connection with the Lord.”—1 Cor. 15:58.

4. How is the Bible like a balancing stick?

⁴ This requires constant study of God’s Word as well as the application of its principles. It acts like the balancing stick used by a tightwire walker. As the stick helps him maintain his balance while walking his thin wire, so does the Bible help the Christian maintain balance while walking the narrow way of Christian integrity.

5. Why is it not easy to maintain spiritual balance?

⁵ At times forces in this world push and pull a Christian, making it difficult for him to maintain spiritual equilibrium. He may be pulled dangerously far one way by the world’s materialistic attractions or he may be pushed dangerously far the other way by worldly persecutions. In either case his integrity to God is severely tried. His ability to stay on the narrow way will depend on how well he cultivates his sense of spiritual balance. It will also depend upon how skillfully he uses the Bible as