Our Bible verse for today: “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” Philippians 4:11 (NASB)
Our thought for today: “Have a positive influence on people”
When I think about someone who is spending their life well I think about the impact that person has on others. Is your impact good or bad, positive or negative? Are other people better off as a result of being around you?
I love the image Paul paints of himself in Philippians 4:11. Over a lifetime of growing in Christ, learning through experience, and persevering through trials, he had learned to be content in whatever his circumstances where. I get the image of a calm and serene man who smiles a lot. He is warm and inviting, genuinely interested in the person sitting in front of him, and someone who has a positive influence on those around him.
I don’t mean to say that Paul was always like that, he wasn’t, but by this point in his life he had learned to be that way. What a great way to be – a calm and gentle older man, wise in his ways, warm and approachable, building into the lives of others, and being a blessing to those around him.
What kind of an influence do you have on people? Are they better off for having been around you? Perhaps you have heard the old analogy of people being either like a thermometer or a thermostat. A thermometer simply reflects back whatever the temperature is. A person who is like a thermometer reflects back whatever the situation around them is. If there is anger, then the thermometer is angry too. If there is sadness, the thermometer is sad. If there is joy, then the thermometer can be happy. A thermometer person is influenced by the people and events around them, rather than being the one doing the influencing.
But a thermostat controls things. A thermostat sets the temperature and controls the environment. If you are a person who is like a thermostat then you are a change agent. If you walk into a situation where there is anger, you introduce peace. If there is sadness, you share joy. If there is despair, you offer hope. But a word of caution is appropriate here too. Not only can a thermostat change things for good, but they can also change things for bad. Think of the hyperactive drama queen who can easily take a peaceful environment and turn it into chaos.
So, is your influence on others good or bad, positive or negative? Are people better off because they have been around you? If you are a thermostat person (in a good way), then people will be better off because they have been with you, and yours will be a life well spent.
Oak Hill Baptist Church