Here's how to think "BIG"!
How to have real wisdom to make the right decisions.
Read and USE these vital principles.
AUTHORITIES now confess to "giant blunders" in coping with the twin threats of famine and over-population and the growing danger of a hydrogen bomb war.
And that doesn't include the immediate problems of mounting crime, violence, RACE WAR. And there is also the serious pollution of our air and water. These problems demand real solutions — not political demagoguery.
Truly, the WISDOM of a Solomon is needed.
But where — in this mixed-up world — does that kind of wisdom exist? Yet it is needed more sorely now than at any time in human history!
The solution?
The Real GOAL of Human Life
The answer is that the God "nobody knows" — the Creator, the God of your Bible, is going to intervene and send the Living Jesus Christ back to RULE this earth! He will come this time in glory and power as King of kings. The other kings assisting Him in reorganizing the entire society of this earth will be those who, in this life, have surrendered their wills to God and who OVERCOME their selfish, lustful, sinful, rebellious human nature. These "over-comers" — then born of God and composed of divine spirit — will RULE this earth with and under Jesus Christ (Rev. 2:26).
Man has always wanted to rule the earth. Now he hopes even to rule outer space!
God has given man the capacity to do just that! But man is presently limited by a body of flesh that must receive all of its nourishment from this earth and its surrounding layer of air. Our so-called "spacemen" must ALWAYS take with them some form of food that comes from the soil of this earth. They must take air and water from the earth.
They must do these things — or they will surely PERISH.
So man is hindered in his efforts to "conquer" space.
Yet, in the beginning, God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have DOMINION over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air. . . ." (Gen. 1:26)
The Marvelous Human MIND
To a limited extent, man is made LIKE GOD. For he is made in the form and shape of God. Unlike any animal, he has a MIND not guided by blind instinct but capable of choice, of decision, of building character. Also, man ALONE has a creative capacity and the ability to think in the abstract, reason, philosophize. He can invent and bring into being infinite new varieties of physical and mechanical things. He is able to compose beautiful music, write inspiring literature and paint majestic scenes — scenes which in some instances he has "created" in his rich and seemingly endless imagination.
And so God gave man DOMINION over all creatures on earth. Yet, in spite of all his God-given possibilities, man has thoroughly botched even his responsibilities here. He needs not only a body with greater capacities. He needs the MIND of a Solomon — yet a spiritually motivated mind to cope with the agonizing problems now facing the entire human race.
The apostle Paul commanded: "Let this MIND be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5).
The Christian who KNOWS the purpose of life must come to have the very MIND, the viewpoint, the attitude and the wisdom of Jesus Christ. But what, you may ask, are the qualities and CHARACTERISTICS of that type of mind? And how are these to be developed?
I. Alertness and Discernment
The first quality is awareness of people, things and attitudes. That's the mark of a real leader. He is ALERT. He is fully AWAKE and thinking. He notices people who are tight and tense around the mouth, people who are "working an angle." He also notices people who are UNBALANCED, disturbed and in need of help.
Such a person will also notice physical and racial characteristics. He will be alert to and aware of the nature of the foliage, plants and animals around him if he is out in nature. Normally, he will not be the one to blunder into quicksand — or into a beehive!
I first became impressed with this characteristic when traveling overseas with Mr. Dick Armstrong — the elder son of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert W. Armstrong.
Dick and I were driving through Europe in the summer of 1954. I had just graduated from college a couple of years before, and it was my first trip overseas. I was noticing and learning many things. But often, many times in fact, when we would be sitting in the car or at a sidewalk cafe and I would be thinking over what we had seen, Dick would suddenly point out to me some unusual characteristic of the people around us, or of the architecture, or of the plant life, the trees, the flowers, etc.
I had traveled throughout the Mid-west as a boy and, later, over most of the United States with many different young men. But never had I been with a companion who was so alert to what was going on around him. He used his God-given eyes and ears to discern the characteristics of each type of people we encountered. He noticed their habits and ways. Soon he would pick up certain words and phrases from each foreign language and begin to use them.
These mental qualities and abilities made Dick a "natural" to head our Overseas Work. He did this, and soon the foundation was laid for the present great and growing Work of God in Britain and Europe.
Jesus Christ's Example
Jesus was alert to the moods and attitudes of others. You will find His example in Matthew 16:5-12. Here Jesus noticed the subtle looks of doubt and confusion in His disciples. He "perceived" the moment His disciples were unsure on a vital point.
In Matthew 22:18, Jesus "perceived" that the Pharisees were trying to trick Him and bring about His downfall in the way they asked a certain question. If He had not been alert and awake, His ministry might have ENDED right there!
Yes, Jesus of Nazareth noticed the arched eyebrows, the questioning eyes, or the shifty expressions and furtive smirks of those who doubted Him or tried to trap Him in some way. He quickly "perceived" attitudes as well — and was often able to forestall trouble before it got started. Always, therefore, He was one step ahead of His disciples and was able to LEAD them.
A Constant PRACTICE
Most of us are not by nature as alert and discerning as we ought to be.
Learn to observe specific things about people — such as exact height and weight, color of hair and eyes, voice qualities and accent, and any definite national or racial characteristics. This should not be done, of course, with any remote thought in mind to prejudice yourself against anyone. But this definitive information will help you to better remember people you meet and those whom you only know casually. It will definitely help you to understand and to better serve and deal with them in the future.
Become more aware of the scenery and the environment around you. Observe the style and architecture of the buildings and notice what kind of trees and flowers are nearby, and what kind of fish and birds are in the pool or park.
Obviously, this practice will add immediately to your store of knowledge and to your effectiveness in dealing with people and things.
If you learn to observe and properly discern all of these things, in right balance, you will in any case be far better prepared to be a literal KING Over some area or phase of society in the World Tomorrow!
II. Education and Knowledge
Nearly every future king is educated and tutored to prepare him for the wide-ranging responsibilities which await him. He is taught not only the history of his own people and their neighbors, but the social and cultural heritage of the past. He is — or at least should be — instructed a great deal about current events. For he must be familiar with recent trends in international diplomacy and warfare as well as domestic and local political issues.
For a future ruler, a thorough education is a NECESSITY. For he must KNOW whereof he acts and speaks. He must have correct information and FACTS behind his decisions and his policies — or he and his nation are headed for DISASTER.
It may surprise some to learn that most, if not all, of the great leaders of the Bible were highly educated men. The prophet Daniel was of royal blood and was among the captive princes of Babylon who were taught "the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans" (Dan. 1:4). He was, therefore, educated in the royal court of the GREATEST Empire in all the earth at that time.
Moses, the inspired Stephen tells us, "was learned in the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds" (Acts 7:22). Again, this prophet of God was educated in the GREATEST Empire of his time.
In Acts 22: 3, the apostle Paul tells us that he was "brought up," or educated "at the feet of Gamaliel" — who historians tell us was the acknowledged GREATEST teacher of Jewish rabbis of that time!
The lesson in all of this is that we should endeavor to obtain the best education possible. Especially, we should be concerned about basic subjects such as grammar, diction, mathematics, history, geography and a good knowledge of current events. Obviously, many older people may find it difficult to go back to school. But there are several fine correspondence schools which offer courses in all of the above mentioned subjects. Besides, many outstanding business and industrial leaders have the equivalent of a Ph.D. through diligent personal study of books and courses on their own.
Read widely, and keep growing mentally all your life!