Are You a Thermostat or a Thermometer?

“Be a thermostat not a thermometer.”

~Martin Luther King, Jr.

Scripture:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed

by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern

what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

~Romans 12:2

Perspective:

By definition, a thermostat sets the temperature while a thermometer reflects the current temperature.  What do you do on a daily basis, do you react to your environment and the people in it or do you set the tone of your environment and positively influence others?  We are called by God to be transformers not conformers, to be the change and transform the hearts of non-believers (and even believers) through our actions.  In the scripture above (Romans 12:2), Paul instructs us to be transformed and then to inspire change in others through all we say and do, not to be conformed to this world and its’ sinful nature.  We were designed by God to set the temperature, not to reflect the world’s temperature, one of hate, dishonesty, deception, anger, resentment, pride, hypocrisy, cheating, slander, gossip, laziness, greed, comparison, jealousy, and bad language.  Do you set the temperature wherever you go with Christ at the center of your heart, are you being the light in the darkness?

First, we must be willing to honestly assess our behavior, not view it as we would like it to be, something that is so easy for us to do.  A thermostat is programmed by someone, which then directs the heating and air conditioning to kick on and raise or lower the temperature.  Who is your programmer, God or this world?  Who or what renews your mind?  David said, Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act (Psalm 37:4-5).  What he means is that when we make our hearts malleable to God, He arranges the desires of our hearts to be the same as His.  God’s will for you always aligns with His teachings, with His Word.  We must “worship” God 24/7, which simply means we reflect God in all we do.  We must surrender to Him, to His will for us, because in His mercy He sent His only son to die for our sins, so that death would not be the end for us but instead we would spend eternity in paradise with Him, as He originally intended for us to do.

What do you renew your mind with each day?  What do you think about and focus on?  The Bible supports how powerful your thoughts are, the fact that how we think, is how we feel, is how we act!  All our relationships, feelings, and actions are impacted by the way we think.  Paul encouraged us to envelop and protect our mind with God’s goodness.  Finally, brothers, 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 (Philippians 4:8).  Renewing, or cleansing, your mind through God’s Word is much like showering to cleanse your body; you shower in clean water not muddy water for a reason.  For physical training is of some value, but godliness (spiritual training) is of value in everything and in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and for the life to come (1 Timothy 4:8).  Do your thoughts and actions reflect a faith in the problem or the answer (God)?  Turn your attention from what has happened to what will happen because of your faith in the promises of God.  You cannot change God’s Word by what you think, say, and do, but you can transform your life and positively set the temperature for your environment and the people in it by what you think, say, and do if you put God at the center of your life.  Always, always go to God’s Word first, read what He says about your situation before you react, or overreact.  Pray for His will to be revealed to you.

Change the things in your life that are not in agreement with God.  To change outwardly, your words and actions, you must first change inwardly, your thoughts and feelings, you must have a change of mind and heart.  Give a voice to the things of God rather than your current problems and circumstances.  You must put your faith in the promises of God, you must trust Him.  Does the faith in your heart match your words and actions?  It is not enough to say something, even to want to feel a certain way, or to act a certain way, you must believe it in your heart!  For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.  The good man, from his good treasure, brings out good things; and the evil man, from his evil treasure, brings out evil things (Matthew 12:34-35).  Do you do kind things because that is what is in your heart or because you think you will gain favor in God’s eyes?  God knows what is in our heart, He cannot be fooled by words, intentions, or even our actions.  There is simply no way we can escape from God seeing and hearing all we do, and what is truly in our heart.

“Character is what you do when no one is watching.”

~Paul Rabil

To have faith in God’s promises and allow our heart to be transformed by His word, we must know God intimately.  The more we seek Him and know Him through His Word, the more we will see Him work in our life and the deeper our relationship with Him will become.  This takes time, effort, submission to Him, and complete faith in Him.  Do you put as much effort into knowing God and acting as He says you should as you do into looking good?  Many people spend an hour a day at the gym and then an hour to get themselves ready for the day without a thought, yet barely have time to pray or to read the Bible.  Take an honest look at how you spend your time, at what you prioritize…where does your relationship with God fit into each day?  Do you show your faith in all you do; in all you say; in how you love ALL, from those closest to you to those who are the most difficult to love?  Do you cast aside the opinions of others to live a godly life and show your love for and faith in Him through all you do and say every day?  Do you influence others for God rather than being influenced by this world?  …Do you not know that being the world’s friend is being God’s enemy?  So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God (James 4:4).   

Life Applications:

>Think honestly about how you actually treat your spouse/partner, kids, parents, neighbors, and especially those you find particularly difficult to love.  Think about all you do to represent yourself as a child of, or ambassador to, Christ from the moment your eyes open until the moment they close.  Ask yourself, do you give more than you take in your relationships?  Jot down your evidence, to ensure you are really doing what you think or intend to do.

>>Do you seek to encourage, or do you analyze and criticize the faults of others?  I must admit, I am guilty of always trying to “fix” everyone and everything around me, my intentions are good, but the truth is, most people do not want to be “fixed” unless they want to change, no matter how much they may need it!

>>>Think about your thinking (metacognition).  What is your brain marinating in?  Your thoughts are immensely powerful, they determine your future thoughts, how you feel, and what you do, they impact every area of your life!

>>>>If you are not on a Bible reading plan and struggle to fit that into your day, commit to reading just one verse a day; do not over-commit or you may end up doing nothing.  Consider sustainability when you vow to do anything; consider what you can do that you will be able to consistently do.  Read, meditate, and apply that verse(s) to your life.  Before reading, ask God to convict you of whatever He wants you to know, do, or change. **The YouVersion Bible App. is free, allows you to pick different reading plans and studies, and then will track your streak for you!