Encouragement: Setting the Thermostat

The sun came out today. First time in forever and I couldn’t get enough of it. (Hence the sunburn.) I felt like I’d had a double shot of espresso. Other friends said the same. Turned out we’d suffered from the same condition.

The blues.

The grumps.

The down in the dumps.

But as the sun reappeared after days of clouds and rain, the gloom cleared, and my spirit soared.

What was interesting was none of us noticed the heaviness—until it lifted. The sunshine sharpened our senses and left us with encouragement, energy, and a fresh outlook on life.

The same thing happens spiritually. Our climate affects us more than we think. The secular climate clouds our spiritual senses, and when we get a shot of Son-shine, it’s a big deal. Enlightening.

So how do we get our daily dose of Son-shine when the spiritual climate smothers us in gray clouds and humidity? We set the thermostat for encouragement. What happens outside stays outside. Philippians 4:8 (NIV) reads, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” What we see, read, and listen to affects us. While we should never lose an awareness of what’s going on in the world around us, we can keep it from dictating our mood by keeping God’s perspective front and center.

Silver Linings

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NIV)

God brings good from the fiercest storms.

Weather Watch 24/7

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

Nothing can separate us from God and His love. Nothing. Not tornados, not hurricanes, drought or flood. He is unaffected by climate and is always on call.

Hope, Not Heaviness

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

No matter the secular climate, we have hope, encouragement, and answers. As God’s joy and peace lifts your spirits in the face of secular bad weather, share your Son-shine and His presence with you, today and every day.

Questions:

Does weather affect you?

What elements of daily life cloud your spiritual senses?

How do you change your mood in foul weather?

How can you encourage someone?

Family Application:

Talk about the weather and how it affects your moods. Talk about spiritual climates. How can you keep a spiritual focus in bad secular weather?

Tweetables:

What was interesting was none of us noticed the heaviness—until it lifted. Click To Tweet
The secular climate clouds our spiritual senses, and when we get a shot of Son-shine, it’s a big deal. Click To Tweet
We set the thermostat for encouragement. What happens outside stays outside. Click To Tweet

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