Thermostat or Thermometer

This past Sunday at church I got a little fired up!

Fired up in a good way that is.  The sermon was on the differences between being a thermostat and a thermometer in your spiritual walk.

This is an old adage that I think is deserving a revisit from time to time.

We all know that a thermostat controls the temperature whether for your air handler or under the hood of your car.  Meanwhile a thermometer merely reflects or measures hot or cold with no controls.

My question for you is ‘do you influence or control the tone in your life or do you simply react and measure the ups and downs?’

Our thermostats in our homes have been working overtime lately with all the weather changes. Are you working just as hard to influence your house as well?  What about at work, in the community or even at church?

Many of us act as thermometers where we gauge our surroundings and allow them to dictate out moods and behavior.  If our work is stressing us out, or our home life is in shambles so are we.  Rather than being a leader that inspires others we become irritable and difficult and thereby diminish others’ trust in us.

Being a leader that works as a thermostat, you have the opportunity to check the temperature and make necessary adjustments.  This type of leader is caring and aware of the mood or temperature and with their finger on the pulse is able to adjust accordingly.

The purpose of the thermostat leader is to maintain a level of comfort and safety for all involved.  If things get a bit heated, they are the ones to cool off and calm things down.  They are also the one that heat things up when people get too comfortable and complacent.

Both types of leadership can be expressed within out homes, community and churches.  We have the ability to decide whether we want to be a thermostat or a thermometer.

How would you answer the Questions:
Are you a thermostat or thermometer?
What type do you want to be?

Blessings,
CJ