Be a Thermostat Not a Thermometer

Thermostats and thermometers both deal in temperature but in very different ways. One measures the temperature and one defines it.

It’s common to hear about thermometers these days. It seems that today we are obsessed (and rightfully so) with measuring everyone's body temperature. Yesterday, I even took my own temperature out of curiosity and fear. It read 98.8, which gave me a sense of relief that I didn’t have a fever.

Yesterday, my area experienced weather changes, where it rained through the night, so I changed the temperature in my house from 68 to 70 degrees. My house warmed some, and it reduced the chill of the morning hours, which made it more comfortable inside for my family.

Anyone can be a measure of temperature (whether in culture or for a person) by observing what others think and how they live. However, you could also be like a thermostat. Those people are people of integrity. They set the temperature for their culture by following God's Word. Paul encouraged his son in Timothy with these words. He said, “Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young but set the example..." It seems the world around us sets the temperature in which we live. As humans, we want to fit in, fly under the radar, and go with the ups and downs of life without being changed. We merely live by the temperature set for us by others in our culture.

Today, I want to urge you to have a standard for integrity, meaning to live with purpose. We set the temperature by refusing to "conform to the pattern of the world, but are transformed by the renewing of our minds" (Romans 12:2).

We set the tone of our world when we choose to fill our minds with God's Word. His Truth can help change our hearts, minds, and attitudes. Go to God's Word today! God promises that He will go with you and guide you as you live for Him.