Spiritual Balance

The rotational speed of the Earth is somewhat critical for the ecosystem. Consider, for instance, if the rotational speed of the Earth was greater than 24 hours. There would be differences in the temperature, which would be so extreme that life would find it hard to survive. And the ecosystems, for instance, need sunlight as a source of energy. If the length of the night would be too short, it would be hard for filter synthesis to occur and to provide source of energy for life. However, if the night was too long, all life would die either by freezing at night because of lack of heat from the sun or by burning during the day from too much sun. So God put the Earth in the correct rotational speed, not too slow, not too fast. Just well balanced. The Moon is the source of tides on the Earth. If the Moon was larger or nearer to the Earth, we would have enormous tidal waves which would overflow into the low lands and erode the mountains. And with that, over time, the continents would be leveled. And it is estimated that water would, at the end of a certain amount of time, would cover the entire surface of the Earth to a depth of a mile and a half. So the Moon is just at the right balance. The Earth has a 23 and a half degree tilt on its axis, which gives us seasons. Without seasons, life would soon not exist because the poles, for instance, would be continuously on an eternal twilight. Water vapor from the oceans would be carried by the wind towards the North and South Pole, and they would freeze when closing after the poles. In time, huge continents of snow and ice would form around the polar regions, leaving most of the Earth a dry desert. Eventually, the oceans would disappear and rainfall would cease. The accumulated weight of ice at the poles would cause the equator to bulge, and as a result, the rotation of the Earth would drastically change. It is just the right balance. Water is unique. It absorbs large amounts of heat without much alteration to its temperature. At night, the oceans release vast amounts of heat, which they soaked up during the day. And that, combined with atmospheric effects, keeps the surface of the Earth from getting too cold at night. And if it were not for the tremendous amount of water on the Earth, there would be far greater day and night temperature variations. It is just the right balance. Water, also, like almost other substances, contracts when it's cooled down. But in contrast to virtually all other materials, when it reaches 39 degrees Fahrenheit, it can expand and freezes. If the water continued to contract when cold, it would become heavier and sink to the bottom of the ocean. Further, when the water turned to ice, it would sink to the ocean, right? As a result, the ocean bottom would be extremely cold and many fish would die. In time, more and more ocean would become ice as it froze from the surface and sank, accumulating at the bottom. It is just the right balance. Now, interesting also about the water is that if it's warmer than 39 degrees Fahrenheit, it then sinks to the bottom of the ocean. And that keeps the bottom of the ocean warm. And this process of the water flowing to the bottom of the ocean, along with the rotation of the earth and the inertia thereof, produces ocean currents. These currents, among other things, ensure that the ocean stays in liquid form. It is just the right balance.

Brethren, I could go on about the ecological balance, about life forms, different animals that are in balance, one with another. For instance, in South Africa, in the Kruger National Park, they manage an ecological balance of animals continuously so that the park stays a healthy park. And then there's vegetation itself, and cross pollination, and the balance between different animal life and vegetation.

It's all in a great balance, which you and I don't even begin to grasp fully. Brethren, God is the author of balance. Balance is one of the most important characteristics of a true Christian. And when we reach balance and maintain it, we are in a sound balanced state, in a sound equilibrium. When we are in that state of soundness, there's stability and balance. Brethren, there are many areas in our lives in which we should analyze ourselves to determine whether we are in absolute equilibrium, balanced, in a sound, stable balance.

It's not my intent to go into some of those areas, such as for instance, financially sound. We have to be financially sound in our lives. We will see terrible, terrible circumstances and consequences to countries like this country for not being financially sound. There will be consequences. It's a law of nature. You've got to be in equilibrium. If you're not in equilibrium, there will be consequences and there will be a punishment. We've got to be socially balanced. For instance, the right balance between our job, our work, our career, on one side, and the time we spend with family, friends, entertainment, relaxation, it's got to be balanced. I mean, another sphere that we could look at is, physically speaking, for instance, diet.

We have to be balanced with what we eat. We can't just eat, quote-unquote, fast foods. We have to be balanced. There is a balance in so many areas to ensure general good health. And so there are many people that go into those areas and have extensive, very good material that we all should pay attention to and learn from.

But today, my focus is that, considering that God is the author of balance, considering that God is sound and seeing that He does wish us to be balanced and sound, my purpose today is to analyze a few biblical principles regarding being spiritually balanced. In other words, of the heart and mind, in other words, emotionally and mentally. Brethren, let me say it right up front. Balance is not compromising with God's law. You see, we've seen in nature, the laws of nature put everything into absolute perfect equilibrium. God's laws bring us perfect equilibrium.

Therefore, balance is complying fully with God's laws. Because God's laws promote equilibrium, balance. So, what makes us unbalanced? If balance is complying to God's laws, being unbalanced is not complying to God's laws. In other words, it's sin, from which we have to repent. And sin affects our minds and hearts. So, if we're talking about spiritual balance, we need to be talking about how are we allowing our minds and our hearts being affected by the world around us.

Turn with me, please, to Romans 1, verse 18-22. The first chapter of Romans is a scripture, yes, very well known by us. But let's look at it from the point of the lesson about balance. Romans 1, 18-22. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of man, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them, for since the creation of the world, the invisible attributes, in other words, the invisible characteristics of God, are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made.

Like I just gave some examples of the moon, and the rotation of the earth and the water. All these things clearly indicate to us the invisible attributes of God that He is well balanced. And even His eternal power and God is, so that the world, people, mankind are without excuse.

Because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened, professing to be wise, they became fools. So, what was the result of this? They denied God. They rejected God. Yes, it's clearly seen, but they rejected God. So what is the result? The result, we can see in verse 23-28.

And I'm not going to read the whole section of 23-28, but I'm going to emphasize you may read that in your own time. But in verse 28 it says, and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind to do those things which are not fitting. In other words, if we are not complying to law, if we are not on that narrow path of law, of very balanced equilibrium of God's law, because it does say the road to eternal life is a narrow path. Yes, it's got to be in equilibrium. Equilibrium, if you are out of equilibrium sooner or later it's going to go this way or that way, and it's going to go wrong. So, because they did not keep in that equilibrium, God gave them over to a debased mind. Mentally, if you and if we are not complying to God's laws in that equilibrium of God's laws, our mind will go wrong, we'll become debased. So, what is the key for a sound, balanced mind? The key for a sound, balanced mind, is not to deny God. In other words, is to be completely close to God, completely adhering to His laws and principles, and then we'll have a balanced mind. We will be truly balanced Christians.

God gives His Spirit, His mind, His attitude of love and power to those that obey Him. And so, if we are obedient to Him, you can read that in Acts 5.31, He will give us the help of His Spirit, and furthermore, whatever we ask from Him, we will receive because we obey Him and do, not just obey Him, but go beyond that, and do those things that are pleasing to Him, as you can read in 1 John 3.22. So, the key for us to be balanced is to be close to God, please Him, do what He tells us to do. So, God's laws are clearly key for us to be balanced spiritually. Look at another example of Paul talking to Timothy and giving him instruction. We're going to spend a bit of time in Timothy, in the section of Timothy today, but we're going to start first in 2 Timothy 1.6, where he talks about God's Holy Spirit. Because it says in 6 and 7, therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God, which is in you, through the laying on of my hands. And so, Paul is encouraging Timothy, but the lesson is encouraging God, is encouraging us all, to stir up God's Spirit, which is on us, through the laying on of hands of the ministry. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind. In other words, a balanced mind in absolute equilibrium, spiritually speaking.

So, the key factor, as we've seen, to be sound, is to obey God's laws. So, what is the purpose of the law? So, as I mentioned, we're going to be in Timothy, so we're going to start from 1 Timothy, chapter 1, verse 5, to answer the question, what is the purpose of God's law? And 1 Timothy, chapter 1, verse 5. Now, the purpose of the commandment is love. The purpose of God's law is outgoing concern. The law helps us to love and to have genuine outgoing concern to other people, in what way?

From a pure heart and from a good conscience. Spiritually speaking, we need a pure heart. In other words, a heart which is in a right attitude and spirit mentally, from emotionally, I beg your pardon, and a conscience which is good, which is right, which is correct, which is functioning correctly, which is in absolutely equilibrium. In other words, a sound mind, a good conscience, breeds obviously a sound mind, a mind that is thinking correctly, and that from sincere faith. In other words, it must be in absolute faith and trust in God that if we do these things, God will back us up and will help us. So, obedience is vital to receiving God's Holy Spirit. God's Holy Spirit is a spirit of a sound, balanced mind. And as we receive the Spirit, as we obey God, that helps us to have a pure heart and a clear conscience, all of it, so that it can be applied in good works of outgoing concern and love. However, you and I live in a very difficult time. You and I live in very dangerous times.

And the times are going to get a lot more dangerous around us. Turn to chapter 4 of the same book, 1 Timothy, chapter 4, just a page or two ahead. And it says, starting from verse 1 and 2, it says, In other words, some people at the end of time will depart from the 5th, giving heed to wrong ideas. What do we mean by that? They'll depart from sound doctrine. They'll depart from the truth, and they'll go into unsound doctrine. This unsound doctrine is deviated from the right, balanced equilibrium, but it is listening to ideas of the wrong mind, the wrong spirit, the wrong people, giving them ideas and conversations and talking the wrong things, and including doctrines of demons. In other words, deviations from the basic truth, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron. They're conscious. They're part of the brain, which is like the check and balance, the thermostat. Think about it. It's the thermostat that regulates that brain, the conscience. It's been damaged. And so they don't stay in equilibrium. You know, you've got a thermostat in your house, you stay to a temperature, you stay to a thermostat, to a certain temperature, which is comfortable to you, and it just maintains that equilibrium all the time. And all the time is going to be watching it to maintain equilibrium. I mean, it's like you and I driving on a highway. I mean, you and I driving on a highway, just because you're on a highway, you can't now go to sleep. You've got to be watching that road all the time. And if occasionally you're talking to your wife and you take your face off of the highway, what happens? You hear on the highway, gong gong gong gong gong, you hear this, what do you call these wake up lines or whatever you call them on the side, and you know, whoops! I'm deviating from the right equilibrium. You've got to be watching it all the time. That's why it says, watch all the time. We've got to be all the time watching. And in this end time, there are going to be a lot of things mentally coming at us from different directions, pushing us the wrong way.

Now, why am I going into this? It's because you and I, brethren, are going to be exposed to situations like this soon. Because we are going to be preaching the gospel with more power. We're going to have, for instance, the kingdom of God's seminars. There's going to be people coming to us. Some of the people will have lovely, humble, willing to learn attitudes, and they're only too keen to hear the truth, and they want to grow from it. Beautiful! But you know, brethren, you and I have an enemy. And he is going to inject some people to come here with not-so-good attitudes, with thoughts and ideas and questions and things like that. That if you are not solid in that equilibrium, and if you cannot defend and speak the truth, it could even put you out of equilibrium. And so what I'm trying to do is to encourage us all to really get very close to understand and be able to prove and to be able to speak about and to be able to defend the basic doctrines, which are the doctrines of Christ and the doctrine of the apostles, which is what we believe in the Church. And then we've got to defend them, because there's going to be people challenging you. And if you cannot defend it, you could be thrown off balance. So I want to encourage us all to fight some of these ideas that are going to come across. And even if it's not going to be, you're going to be at your job, and you're going to be different. You're going to be alight like the sermonists have clearly described. We're all going to be alight as we leave. We are going to light. And sooner or later, in society or at college or wherever you are, people are going to put certain pressures on you. And you have to stand up for equilibrium, for God's way, which is well balanced. Now, these people, they'll come. They'll have their own ideas. They'll have their own teachings. They'll have their own doctrines. They'll have a mission to come and teach us something. Sounds like a little bit of an audacity, isn't it? I mean, we are teaching God's truth, and they're coming to tell us that we are wrong, and they have the right way. And you may think, how's that possible? Well, it is possible, because I'm already getting letters with that tone.

And it's going to happen. The next attack on God's church is going to be from every direction, not just from inside. It's going to be from outside. It's going to be from all over. And you and I have to be solid on the truth so that we can stand in equilibrium. Stand solid in sound doctrine.

Brethren, sound doctrine is very important. Just turn a few pages ahead in your Bible to Titus 2, verse 1. Titus 2, verse 1. Let us for you speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine. Sound doctrine is doctrine which is teaching, which is understanding of the truth in equilibrium, in balance, in the right heart, and in the right conscience, within the mind. And then he explains a few principles about sound doctrine in Titus 2 in the next few verses. But I want to jump ahead to verse 7 and 8, where it says, And in all things, showing yourself to be a pattern of good works. In everything, we have to be a pattern of good works. Sound, balanced, good works in doctrine, showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility. We have to be incorruptible in doctrine. In other words, we have to know what we believe, what is Christ's teachings, and we know and we've got to understand and be able to defend the teachings of Christ and of the apostles. So, continue in verse 8. Sound speech. Sound speech. In other words, we've got to be able to speak soundly that cannot be condemned, that one who is opponent, an opponent, may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. And then in verse 12-14 it says, that we should live soberly. What is soberly? It's balanced. If you're sober, you're stable. I mean, it's like you're not drunk. When you're drunk, you're not sober. Now, if you are drunk, you're really not walking very straight. You are of equilibrium and you lose your balance. So, if we are sober, we are balanced, we are stable. Soberly, righteously. Righteously means, on the right way, means it's not twisted to the left or not to the right. We're right on target. Righteously. And with good works. Godly, in the present age. Continue.

It's zealous for good works. And good works, obviously, have to be with faith, because faith without works is dead, and likewise the other way around. So it's sound, balanced faith. Now, these people are going to come to us, and that's why, brethren, we need to be sound in understanding to discern when people are saying things that just don't gel. They just don't gel, because I want you to read this scripture with me. We're going to spend a little bit more on 2 Timothy. Look at 2 Timothy 2, verse 14. 2 Timothy 2, verse 14. Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord, not to strive about words to no prophet to the ruin of the years. Words of no prophet. These people are going to come to us to argue, to debate with words of no prophet. They're going to claim that you and I are immature if we can't handle this open discourse. And they're going to say, well, you are stagnating, because we need to refine the truth through arguing and debates and come to more and greater understanding. And if we're not engaged on that, they're going to say, we are pursuing an idol. Brethren, these are the sort of striving about words to no prophet that you and I are going to encounter. They claim that to grow in the truth, you must be continuously debating and refining and talking about different opinions, because they say that is the way to go from darkness to light. Brethren, we've got to look at God's truth in the Bible and be solid on it, not debating about our human reasonings around it. These people are going to be very clever, very intelligent, and Satan is going to try and attack us. So, continuing in verse 15, it says, be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. When these people are going to come, you and I need to be able to rightly divide the word of truth. We need to kind of have our aerials up when they come out with all these funny reasonings and say, uh-uh, this is not right. And continuing in verse 16, but shun, profane, and idle babblings. It was empty chatter. We heard last week about brain chatter. Now it's empty chatter. It's not brain chatter. It's empty chatter. They know words, which lead to what? For they will increase to more ungodliness. That's what they lead to. They lead to ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer. This spreads like a great disease. These are people that are straight from the truth, and this is a disease of the world today. And we're going to get that pressure in the church.

It's like an open wound, a wound that has gone septic. These things are just, it's the world. The reasoning has just gone wrong. And continuing in verse 18, we have straight concerning the truth, and then they all come out of their own whatever stories they have. An example during Paul's time was that the resurrection was already passed, and they overthrow the faith of some. In other words, if we are not stable, if we are not strong in the truth, we are going to be thrown off balance and overthrow the faith of some.

So brethren, we need to be aware. So the question is, so what? What must we do? Well, what we must do is answer from verse 22 onwards by being a fleeing whatever last one have, or whatever pressures, pursuing righteousness, faith, love, peace with all with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart, avoid foolish and ignorant disputes. We need to avoid these quarrels, these arguments, knowing that they generate strife.

And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle and able to teach and patient. And humility, correcting those who are in opposition, those that are striving about words, we need to correct them. In humility. Because that is one of the big problems. These people don't have humility. They think they know it all. And therefore, in humility, correcting those who are in opposition, if God, perhaps, will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, that they may come to their senses, yes, to their senses, to a sound mind, and escape the smear.

It's a trap. This is a trap of the devil having been taken captive by him to do his will. Brethren, we have to be careful to avoid striving about words of no prophet to the ruin of the Eurus. Brethren, indeed, we are living in difficult times. If we continue reading in the next verse, in the next chapter, but know this, then in the last days, perilous times will come.

These times of stress, of difficult times, will come upon us. In many ways, they will come. Times of great stress. And then if you jump to verse 5, having a form of godliness. These people will appear godly. Yes, they will appear godly. They'll appear very loving, but deny its power. You know, in other words, they don't have substance. For of this sword are those who creep into households and go on. And verse 7, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Yes, they're learning, they're studying and doing this, but they got the wrong spirit. They're not with the right humble spirit. And it says, now as James and Jamboree has resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth. They actually are resisting the truth. And brethren, we must be balanced. We must be strong in the truth. Spiritual solids in the truth, so that we're not affected by this. Men of corrupt minds disapproved concerning the faith, but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all as theirs also was in due time.

That's what will happen. So brethren, what is the key for the right, godly balance? Spiritual balance. It's God's law. It's repentance from dead works and faith towards God. That's what it is. Now, these people may come with some arguments. Like, for instance, let me just give you one example, an argument they can come to. And they say, they'll turn to Ecclesiastes 7, for instance. And I'm just giving you this example because to show that you and I have to be solid to be able to fight these arguments.

Now, take Ecclesiastes 7, verse 16 through 18. Do not be overly righteous. Do not be overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself? They say, look, you're just being too righteous. You don't need to be that righteous. Don't be overly wicked. No, be foolish. Why should you die before your time? Hey, so be balanced, you know? You don't have to be too righteous. You can be a little bit of wicked, not too much. Just be balanced. Verse 18, it is good that you grasp this. It is good that you understand this because these people don't understand this. And they're taking it out of the true understanding. And not remove your hand from the other, for he who feels God will escape them all.

So what is he talking about? Can you fight that? Can you stand up on that and defend it? Well, let's start with righteous. Do not be overly righteous. A good scripture, a little margin scripture that you could have there is Romans 10, verse 3. So keep your fingers there on this section of the Zestes because we'll come back to it. But look at Romans 10, verse 3. You see, you've got to be rightly dividing the word of truth. Romans 10, verse 3.

It says, For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness. That's the problem. You're talking about overly righteous as far as selfish righteousness. Not God's righteousness, self-righteousness. Because they're thinking about self and their self. So they're making out their own self-righteous stories. Because they're not submitted to the righteousness of God. Another scripture that you could have there, I'm not going to turn into it, is Isaiah 64, verse 6. Which says, Our righteousness is like filthy rags. So when you become overly righteous in your own self-righteousness before God, that is filthy rags. So don't go that way. You see, it's basically talking about man's standards. We cannot strive to be righteous in our own righteousness by being overly righteous. Because then we become off-balance, because it's not God's righteousness, it's self-righteousness away from God's equilibrium. Because it's man's standards of right and wrong. And they're not balanced, they're not sound doctrine. Doesn't that remind you of something else? Doesn't it remind you of an old gentleman talking about two trees? And one tree is the tree of life, and the other one is the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And what it is, they become, in their minds, too important that they know what should be right and wrong, not God's righteousness, not submitting to the tree of life, but following the tree of knowledge, good and evil, which is their own interpretation of what is right and wrong. And therefore, when they follow that, they go wrong, because that's the way of death. So let's go back to Ecclesiastes 7. When it reads there, verse 18, it is good that you grasp this. It is good that you really understand this, because it's actually talking here about not following man's own interpretation of what's right and what is wrong. You've got to follow God's balanced interpretation of what's right and what's wrong. It says, nor be overly wise, in the next phrase in verse 16, which it's contrasted with verse 17, which says, no be foolish. This is, don't be overly wise, no be foolish. That phrase is contrasted with the second phrase also in verse 17. So what is it, being overly wise? Shouldn't we be wise? So it says, seek your wisdom. The principle thing is wisdom. So what do you mean, don't be overly wise? So again, a good little scripture to tie next to that statement about wise would be James 3, 13 through 18. Let's look at James 3, 13 through 18.

James 3, 13 to 18.

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.

Oh, the meekness of wisdom.

Brethren, there's so much packed into these three words, the meekness of wisdom. It's not just wisdom, it's meekness of wisdom. What is meekness? Meekness is a willing to submit, is a humble attitude, and it is a teachable attitude. In other words, it's teachable because there's an absolute trust in God. So meekness is like, think of it, it's like that animal that you have which is so mild. You know, it's meek, it's mild, mild and meek. It's mild, it's a mild animal, it's meek. It's humble, it's correctable, it's mild, but it's not a fool because it's the meekness of wisdom. So it's wisdom but with humility.

Now, where does wisdom go wrong? Doesn't it say, beware that knowledge puffs up? And what does it mean when knowledge puffs up? It goes to your head, it goes to our head. And what happens to that? It's not humble, but it's proud. So it's talking about the meekness of wisdom.

It's wisdom with that teachable, humble attitude tied to it. That is God's wisdom. It's wisdom with gentleness, with humility, with submission, with teachableness.

But it's wisdom along with it. The opposite wisdom is the wisdom without that, which is the wisdom with pride, with arrogance. And that's exactly what in the next few verses it describes so clearly. There's the wisdom of the world, of Satan, which is arrogant, which is proud. And there's the wisdom of God from above, which is humble and pure. And let's read those things to see how it describes the meekness of wisdom. Look at it in verse 14. Verse 14, it's talking about the wisdom of the world, which has got the wrong spirit of envy, self-seeking, and pride. But if you have envy and self-seeking in your hearts, in other words, you're not mild and teachable and humble. Do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but it's earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every other thing are there.

So in Ecclesiastes 7, when it's saying, don't be overly wise, it's talking about this wisdom of the world.

And don't be a fool either, because what we need to have is God's wisdom, because that's balanced. What we need to have is God's principles, because they're balanced. Continue in verse 17, but the wisdom that is from God, which is from above, is first pure.

Now, it's important. It's first pure. Quite often we think in sequence. It must be first pure, and then must have that number 2, and number 3 is that, and number 4 is that. But think of it another way. It's first pure.

Then the others.

They're rethinking differently, because when it's first pure means it must be with purity, it must be genuine, it must be sincere, it must be pure. Then with that, it must be peaceable, because you're doing peace under a spirit of purity, because pure is first.

Then it's willing to yield, but it's willing to yield under that spirit of purity, because it's first pure, and then willing to yield. It's full of mercy, but first it's pure. There must be purity, there must be sincerity, there must be correct, and then full of mercy. And so on, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now, the fruit of righteousness. And what is righteousness? Well, righteousness comes from faith. God gives us righteousness through faith and obedience. It's both, hand in hand.

Now, the fruit of righteousness, in other words, if you have the right faith, applying, believing in God, and obeying to God's principles, then we have the fruit of righteousness. How do we plant that righteousness? It's sown in peace by those who make peace in the spirit of the meekness of wisdom. And so, when people take a scripture out of context, just ecclesiastes there, you can go into the wrong thinking. But when you discern the Bible, clearly dividing clearly the word of truth, and you keep in mind that it's got to be balanced, and for it to be balanced, God, in nature, everything is balanced, and the laws of nature give us balance. Therefore, God's laws are balanced. So, let us not be thrown off balance mentally and emotionally by these ideas.

And yes, we've got to have a right mind and a right heart. And we've basically been talking most about mental things. But let's look at also some emotional things, certain things related to the heart. And that is what they call being emotionally mature, controlling our emotions, maybe something called emotional intelligence. There are a number of books discussing emotional intelligence in great depth. But look how Paul puts it in Philippians chapter 4. Because emotion has to do with the heart. Philippians chapter 4, you know, a sound, balanced heart.

Starting in verse 1. Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, stand fast in the Lord, beloved. Stand fast, be solid, be sound, be balanced, not thrown to the left, not thrown to the right, but just stand fast. And then in verse 9, he brings out a few important points here. I'll be a part of it from verse 4 to verse 9. And let's read those verses here, verse 4 to verse 9. Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice. Now this is from the heart. I mean, you can only rejoice when it's a heartfelt attitude that comes. And he says rejoice. Again, I say rejoice. Now therefore, he's talking about an attitude of the heart, which is a contented, satisfied attitude that one is able to rejoice. Let your gentleness, again heart-type attitudes, be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

But be anxious for nothing. Now we all have worries, we all have concerns, we all have little challenges in life and difficulties. But he says, yes, we do have challenges. We do have needs. But don't be anxious about them. But with those needs, bring everything by prayer and supplication to God. In other words, ask God, plead to God. Supplication means plead. He says, please, Father, please help me. I've got this problem. Please, I need your help. But he's not saying don't be anxious because you're taking the problem to the right being God, our loving Father, that can help and intervene for us. My prayer and supplication. At the same time, with thanksgiving, in other words, don't just look at the negative, look at the positive because there are things to be grateful. And so look at the positive as well. Don't have your mind on your heart so filled with the negative, but have your mind and heart filled with the positive so that you can give thanks. Let your requests, so with that thanksgiving, with that positive mind, knowing that God is a caring God, let your requests be made known to God. And what is the result? The result is the peace of God. That peace of mind which passes all understanding. It's just this peace of mind will just have that peace of mind that just surpasses any and all understanding.

That peace of mind will guard your hearts and your minds, your emotions and your intelligence and your thinking through Jesus Christ. Finally, brethren, think positively. Put in your mind, as some stronger ways used to say, if you want to take something out of a gloss, you want to put something out of a gloss, put something else into it. So don't allow to dwell on the negative, dwell on the positive. So put in your mind things that are true and noble and just and pure and lovely and good report and virtue and praise worthy. Think about these things. Meditate on them. Think about them. The things which you learned and received and heard and so in me, these two, you know, was followed by example. That's how I did. I have had tremendous problems. You know, Paul had, referring to them, you say, I had big, big problems. He had. I mean, he was beaten. He was in jail. He was scorched. They thought he was dead yet, but he had a positive attitude. He says, so these two, like I do, and the Lord and the God of peace will be with you. So that's what Paul is saying. They're giving us some principles for emotional mature maturity to look on the positive. And then God will give us that sound mind that he says that surpasses all understanding.

Brethren, God is indeed the author of balance. I gave you a few principles of spiritual balance. And indeed, from the things that are made from the creation, we can see the invisible attributes of God that God, God's law promotes balance. God is a balanced being full of love, joy, peace, power, glory. He is completely balanced and sound. He wants you and I to be absolutely balanced and sound spiritually, in other words, mentally with our minds and emotionally with our hearts. We indeed have analyzed a few principles. There are many more that I would like to encourage you in your own private Bible study to learn and to analyze from the point of view that we need to be in balance in equilibrium, so that you and I may defend ourselves from Satan and those that are around us or that will be trying to get around us. And therefore, we'll attempt to throw us off balance. Look at how Paul summarizes his mental and emotional balance in the same book in verses 11 through 13. He says, Now that I speak in regard to need... In other words, he had needs, he had problems, he had things that he needed. But he said, Don't be anxious. But I've learned... This is his emotional maturity that he had. For I've learned in whatever state I am to be content. I know how to be a beast and I know how to abound. Everywhere in all things I've learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. What a balanced, sound mind he had. What a balanced, sound mind you and I need to strive to have. May God's Holy Spirit be with us all to help you and I grow in this grace and knowledge and understanding.