The Thermostat

Bible Reading: Psalm 34:11-16

“School was so much fun today,” Nadine told her dad at dinner. “Mrs. Edwards had to go to the office for something, and everybody ran around and talked while she was gone. She was so mad when she got back! She said she could hear us way down the hall. Then she made us sit with our heads down on our desks for a while. But she had to go back to the office, and when she left, everybody went wild again. So she made us all stay in at recess.”

“Did you talk and leave your seat too?” asked Dad.

Nadine looked startled. “Well, yeah. Everybody did. I figured we’d all get yelled at, so I might as well do it too.” Changing the subject quickly, she said, “Can I turn the heat up a little? I’m cold!”

“When the sun goes down, it does get cold pretty fast,” said Dad. “Go ahead—turn up the thermostat a bit.” Nadine got up and went to do so. “A thermostat is a great invention,” Dad said when Nadine returned to her seat. “It’s a controlling device. It doesn’t just read the temperature in a room; it does something about it if it’s not where it was set to be. It tells the furnace when to go on and off.” He paused. “I wish I could install a thermostat on you.”

“Huh?” Nadine looked at her dad, surprised.

“Just like thermostats, Christians should be in control of themselves too,” Dad said. “Like knowing when to be an example of Jesus to others and when to run away from bad behavior. The Bible tells us to overcome evil with good. To do that, we need to remember that Jesus has freed us from sin and given us His goodness and love, and we need to trust Him to help us be good examples in everything we say and do.”

Nadine gulped. “You mean, I should have been quiet and stayed in my seat today, and then maybe some of the other kids would have too?”

“They may have,” said Dad. “But even if they didn’t, I’m sure your teacher would have noticed the respect and care shown to her through your actions.”

“You’re probably right.” Nadine sighed. “I think I owe my teacher an apology.”

-Hazel W. Marett

How About You?

Do you go along with the crowd? If everybody does something, do you think that makes it okay for you to join in and do it too? If so, you have things backwards. If you’re a Christian, you should be like a thermostat and take control of your actions in every situation. As you trust Jesus to help you turn down hurtful behavior and turn up His goodness and love, you can be a good leader and a good influence on your friends.

Today’s Key Verse:
Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Be a good influence