Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Zig Ziglar
Your Attitude
We can’t control what goes on around us, but we can control what we think about it. Paul wants us to dwell on “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Phil. 4:8). You are not what you think you are; what you think, you are!
Your Aptitude
Someone who is said to have a good aptitude is someone who has a natural or acquired capacity or ability and especially a tendency or inclination to learn or understand something. A person’s aptitude is gained through diligent study and application, which takes a lot of hard work, but that is not how the Word of God is understood. Paul writes, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him [but] these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God” (1 Cor. 2:9-10).
Your Altitude
Whatever a pilot sets the altitude for, the aircraft will adjust. In like manner, we can adjust our altitude by our attitude. It is up to the pilot to determine the altitude. The pilot has power over this decision, and so do we concerning our altitude by determining our attitude. In the first paragraph, we have already read that we can adjust our attitude by dwelling on positive things (Phil. 4:8) and by giving thanks to God, which is His revealed, express will (1 Thess. 5:18). That should enable us to turn up our attitude of gratitude and head for a higher altitude.
Conclusion
God is so good to us. He is more gracious to us than we deserve. So let us dwell on the lovely things of God; be filled with the Spirit to discern what is true, godly wisdom; and adjust the attitude to rise in altitude so that we might be nearer to God.
