Life Ministries

    My wife Judy and I have moved from Wisconsin to Virginia – to Maryland – to South Carolina. One of the differences between the states has to do of course, with the weather. In Virginia, we found ourselves constantly regulating the thermostat. Depending on the outside weather, we would turn the heat up or down accordingly, and of course, the same with the air conditioning in the warmer months. In South Carolina the heat is on during January and February, and the rest of the year the AC is on. Back in Wisconsin the heat was always “on” and we didn’t really need air conditioning! If you had AC it was a box in the window for occasional use during the two months of summer!

    As it concerns spiritual maturity in our lives, I find that some people are like thermometers: they spend their lives recording the atmosphere of life, and react accordingly. Others however, are like thermostats; they regulate the atmosphere of life. They have matured to the point where they are able to say “This is where I am most comfortable in life, and regardless of the pressure, stress, sunny skies or stormy weather, I have set my course, I have set my priorities, I have set my heart, mind, soul, and spirit, and I shall be content no matter what the circumstances!”
    On the other hand, those who are thermometers would be those who are “tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching.” (Ephesians 4:14)  If the situation is hot and heavy, thermometers register tension and irritability. If the situation is stormy they register worry and fear. If it is calm and quiet, they may register comfort depending on how they see their present circumstance as well as the future.
    In Philippians 4:11 Paul says “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Notice that he did not say “I am the kind of person who is content”…He said “I have learned to be content.” Contentment, or becoming a thermostat, is a learned characteristic. It is a sign of maturity. It is that which carries the attitude of the serenity prayer: “Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.”
    Thermostats take control of their lives and regulate their surroundings, rather than let the situation, the circumstances, or the people around them regulate their lives and control them. Thermometers can become thermostats when balance replaces extremes in emotions and actions; When good choices replace bad choices; When their concern for others outweighs their concern for themselves; When they become encouragers rather than critics; When they know correction is in order, and they have a willingness to change.