Thermostat or Thermometer?

Thermostat or Thermometer?
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

 Thermometers and thermostats are similar – yet very different instruments. Both instruments interact with temperature. A thermometer reads and relays the temperature of its environment. As the environment gets hotter, the mercury in the thermometer rises. As the environment gets cooler, the mercury in the thermometer falls. A thermostat also reads and relays the temperature of its environment, but it also has the power to change the temperature of its environment.

As we inch closer and closer to November in this election year, we ought to reflect on the Bible’s instruction in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Paul says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Paul instructs Christians to be thermostats – not thermometers.

As Christians, we are called to be people who can change the temperature and tone of the environment God has placed us in. When political debates heat up around us, we are to be those who bring the voice of calm, reason, and faith into the conversation – lowering the temperature. When people around us throw up their hands in exasperated exhaustion and say, “None of this matters”, we are to remind them that God works through people – and raise the temperature.

We don’t yet know God’s will for the November election. But we do know his will for us. It is to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances – even when things don’t go our way.

Your Pastor and Friend,
John Knox Foster