Be a Thermostat NOT a Thermometer
Rom 12:2
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” – your way of thinking, the decisions you make.
JB Philips translates this into: “Don’t let this world squeeze you into its mould”.
Some of you might know that I am a Maths teacher, but I am also a Physical Sciences teacher. So here follows my quick lesson on the difference between a thermostat and a thermometer.
A thermometer REFLECTS the temperature of a room, or the surroundings that it is in. A thermostat CHANGES the temperature of a room, a liquid or its surroundings.
I think most of us have been both…
Being a thermometer, you step into a room and see what is happening and decide, well all right, I will do that too! You might be stepping into a room where everybody is partying and drinking and decide, oh well, I will be just like everybody else! Everybody’s doing drugs, why not give it a shot? Come and have a look at my screen, I have this amazing video – then you show them something really dodgy. Your actions reflect what is happening in that room. You are a thermometer. You are doing what everybody else is doing. By just wanting to fit in, you are becoming and reflecting what is happening in the room – that’s a thermometer.
Rather be a thermostat. Influence the room that you walk into. Influence the actions of the people in your company. A thermostat is somebody who intentionally has a good and positive influence on the people around them. A thermostat sets the trends, they do NOT follow them!
You get those people who, when they walk into the room, are just so positive and bubbly and you can’t help but be the same. It is contagious! Be like that. BUT, a word of advice, when you walk into a room and you can’t change people’s destructive attitudes, get out of that room. Do NOT conform to the unacceptable behaviour and poor values that are so pervasive today.
There is a saying: “Don’t fight temptation, RUN from it!”
Daar is ‘n gedeelte in die Bybel in Mattheus 5 waar dit sê: “Wees die sout van die aarde”. Dit beteken, jy moet smaak gee aan alles rondom jou. ‘n Mens gooi sout op jou kos om dit beter te laat proe…om die huidige situasie te verbeter!
Ek wil gou vir ons bid…en dan so ‘n bietjie verder gesels oor die termometer en termostaat.
Prayer
Ons liefdevolle Hemelse Vader, dankie dat U ons in die wêreld, maar veral Hoërskool Hermanus, geplaas het om ‘n positiewe verskil te maak. Help ons om dit nie te vergeet nie, maar dat ons mekaar herhaaldelik en gereeld sal herinner om die omgewing rondom ons op ‘n positiewe en opbouende manier te verander, indien dit nodig is. Dankie vir die voorreg om ‘n termostaat vir U te wees en nie net ‘n ruggraatlose termometer nie.
AMEN
Mr MJ Smuts
PRINCIPAL