Are You a Thermometer or a Thermostat?

A thermometer changes its temperature with the environment. A thermostat sets its temperature and then influences the environment around it.

Far too many of God’s people are like a thermometer. When it gets hot around them, their mercury goes up too. When it gets cold around them, they get that way too. When it gets mean and nasty…they do too, boring… they do too, exciting…dry…they do too.

But God designed us to be more like a thermostat. Our temperature is set by the Holy Spirit in union with our spirit on Love, Joy, Peace… When the temperature is hot around us, we cool things down; when it is cold, we warm it up…. We influence the environment rather than reflect it. Jesus called this being His witnesses in the world.

How to switch from being a thermometer to becoming a thermostat.

·        Get new “mercury,” by receiving a new heart. When you receive Jesus Christ He gives you His Spirit. He lives in you, with you, through you, as you, in the world around you. He reflects the Father, not the world.

·        Keep your mind stayed on the Lord by staying in His Word each day. As you keep a verse in your mind and review it throughout the day, your “setting” will remain on Him.

·        Keep your “filters” changed by spending time with God each day in prayer, in His Word, and by serving Him. Our lives get clogged with the world by just living in it, but time with God will keep the filters clean and unclogged.

·        Be obedient to the Lord rather than to the world, the flesh, or the devil. As you obey the Lord, His Life is experienced by those around you.

No one ever walks into a cool house on a hot day and talks about how wonderful the thermostat is. But they will talk about how wonderful air conditioning is. As you walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh, those around you will experience Him and will praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

Being Used

When was the last time you used somebody? I hope you never have. So, why do we think God does that; use people? Who ever heard of a child going up to his father and saying, “Daddy, please use me today.” Or what parent tells their child, “I want to use you today.” That sounds sick because it is sick. How ridiculous. And yet we hear that in our prayers all the time, “God, please use me today…” Why do we pray like that?

We may pray like that because we want to be useful to God and not a hindrance to Him.  But why would we think we are a hindrance? What child thinks she is a hindrance to her parents?

Being useful is something that a tool is, or a car, or a computer, or a phone, or a building, or a piece of money, but we should not think of people that way. We certainly should not think of ourselves that way. We are not tools or things. So why do we think of ourselves that way in relationship with God, our Heavenly Father who loves us more that we can ever imagine? Do you not know that through faith in Jesus Christ you are a child of God, a joint heir with the Lord Jesus Christ?

Or maybe we think He needs us to do stuff for Him. He can handle everything without us, always has, always will. He doesn’t need us. I think that when we pray like that, “O Lord, use me…” it reveals a need in our lives, not His. I want to be useful. This need is based upon a performance mentality rather than a love relationship.

God loves you for who you are, not because of how useful you are. He doesn’t want to use you; He wants you to love Him and trust Him and join Him today in what He wants to do in you, with you, through you, as you before the watching world around you!

Rather than pray, “…use me…” ask the Lord to include you in what He wants to do around you. Or, if you are praying for someone else, rather than praying, “…use him/her…” pray, “God, show us what You are doing. Here am I, send me…send them…send us, Lord. We volunteer!”

I believe if we could hear God answer the prayer, “Lord use me…” He would say, “My child, I don’t want to use you, but I do want you to be with Me today in what I am doing. Let’s do it together; you and Me. I will teach you as we work together. It will be fun. Let’s spend some time together today. Don’t worry about the project. I’ll take care of everything related to that. I want you to know Me and My love for you. This is more important to Me than completing some project or being useful.”

Next time you hear someone (or yourself) pray “Lord, use me…” don’t judge them or criticize them (or yourself), but rather simply add your prayer, “Lord, thank You for your great love; show us what You are doing. We want to do that too, with You.” AMEN!