Thermometer or Thermostat?

In almost every home, there is a thermostat and a thermometer. Though they may sit on the same wall, they serve very different purposes.

A thermometer only reflects the temperature around it. If the room is cold, it registers cold. If the room is warm, it registers warm. It simply mirrors whatever atmosphere it is placed in.

A thermostat, however, does something far more active. It sets the temperature. It shapes the atmosphere. It brings the environment into alignment with the setting it carries within.

In the same way, we often act like thermometers. Someone is in a bad mood, and we pick it up. Work is stressful, and we start feeling that stress. Social media turns negative, and we get discouraged. But God didn’t create us to just absorb whatever is around us. He created us to make a difference—to set the tone, not just reflect it.

Holy Scripture says, “You are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.” (Ephesians 5:8) This is our identity in Christ. That means we are not meant to mirror darkness, stress, or fear. We are called to set a different spiritual climate wherever we go. Light does not imitate darkness; it overcomes it.

If your home feels unsettled, do not wait for someone else to change it. You can bring warmth through gentleness, forgiveness, and encouragement. When someone enters your home, let them sense God’s presence because you have intentionally cultivated it.

At work, where negativity or criticism may be common, resist the pull to reflect those patterns. Offer quiet prayers. Show patience. Bring calm into chaos. One person with a thermostat spirit can shift an entire room.

Even if you are walking through a spiritually cold season, keep setting your internal thermostat. Remember God’s promises. Choose hope even when hope feels distant. Your faith-filled setting is stronger than any atmosphere trying to surround you.

Friends, choose to live as a thermostat. Don’t just notice the cold or the darkness around you; bring warmth and light into those places. Bring compassion where there is hardness. Bring hope where there is hurt. Set the atmosphere of your home, your relationships, your work, and your heart.

Live as children of light. Adjust the temperature. Change the atmosphere. And watch God work wonders around you.