So what is the difference between and thermometer and thermostat? Well, they both can tell us the temperature of the environment, right? There is a fundamental difference though. A thermometer well tells us the temperature is outside (the world and it’s evil), and we have limited to no control other than adapt ourselves, like putting on a coat when it’s too cold outside or wearing shorts and a tank top when it’s scorching.
I often wondered why a person from Ohio wants to come to Florida and person from Florida wants to go to Ohio. Could it be they are trying to control instead of adapting? We can't control the weather and moving may provide a temporary source of control without requiring to adapt. Oh, but how we soon we forget! We were miserable in the blazing Florida heat and we wanted to play in the snow, or we wanted to escape the cold for a little fun in the sun. Perhaps this is why we have vacations. It is a brief reminder of why we moved where we did in the first place.
The thermostat also involves hot and cold temperatures; however, we are in complete control over the thermostat, and we can raise or lower the heat whenever we want.
Satan wants us to be the thermometer and accept the environment and follow the crowd. He wants us to be like everyone else and not use our spiritual gifts or abilities or even want or make changes. Satan knows it only takes one person in a hostile city to say something, like “burn it down!” and quickly others will join in on the destruction to be part of the group. He wants us to be self-righteous and self-entitled individuals that are always concern about inequity. Jesus shows us in the parable of The Workers in the Vineyard that each person is not entitled to the same as others.
God wants us to use our empowerment to set the temperature of our environment by adjusting the heat and not adapting to it. If it is too cold, we can also regulate the temperature by reading scripture and spending time with God in prayer and “turning up the heat.” I don't believe God wants us to be comfortable where we are. Christ wants us to be on fire for Him and teach and disciple others to have the same desire and hunger. If it gets too hot, we can turn down the heat or turn it off by avoiding distractions and evil influences of graphic television; listening to hate music; remove ourselves from arguments, fights, and potential hostile environments; avoid spending time playing video games, internet, and social media; and keep our mind pure and clear and avoid drugs and alcohol. We should also stay away from people who engage in these things and whenever possible we should search for good positive connections and role models that we can trust. Hint: there are very few role models found on TV and in the music industry. I believe that Satan uses these venues to distract us from the Word, and slowly become de-synthesizing to violence and death.
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