A friend of mine named Bobby gave a speech at our Toastmasters meeting that he had given to his firefighters. However, it can relate to all of us whether we are stay at home moms homeschooling our kids ( if you are I bow to you) or have a 500 square foot corner office with a skyline view and two inch carpet under our executive desks.
Are you a thermometer or a thermostat?
A thermometer simply measures the temperature.
A thermostat, however, controls the temperature.
A thermometer is passive. It absorbs the temperature in the room and reads it But, a thermostat is active. It tells the AC or heat what to do to maintain a certain temperature.
Jesus had harsh words for the church at Laodicea-
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of my mouth. Rev 3:15-16
Their spiritual thermostat was broken. It had been reduced to a thermometer. All it could do was absorb the temperature of the world around it. They were not on fire with the Holy Spirit. They were not changing lives. Their faith wasn’t controlling the atmosphere in which they lived.
Our Lord holds the same challenge for us today. Which are we? Are we so conformed to the world that we can only read what it is saying and shake our heads? Or are we willing to crank up the heat of the Spirit and try to change the atmosphere?
Remember this- a thermostat slowly adjust the temperature in the room. It takes a while to get the room to the correct degree. It doesn’t blast you out with heat or coolness. It reads the temperature and then determines what is needed to correct it at a measured pace. It may turn on some air, then off, then on again. But eventually, it will make the adjustments needed.
We. with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, should act in the same way. We need discernment to “read” the situation, then at a steady pace, correct it to plumb with God’s principles. People who are not believers need to be made comfortable with the idea of a God who loves them enough to save them from themselves. Too often, things in their heart, and misconceptions need to be adjusted first. To blast the Bible at them will only make them leave the room- it is too uncomfortable.
So, join me in being more like a thermostat and warming people to the idea of Jesus coming into their lives. Shine His love through your actions, and perhaps words. Like a ray of sunshine on a cool day, they will gravitate to its warmth.
