Climate [klahy - mit]
-noun
The composite or generally prevailing weather conditions of a region, as temperature, air pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine, cloudiness, and winds...
I'm
pretty sure our thermostat is broken. We
can set the A/C at 76 degrees before going to bed and then wake up to a frigid
house with it reading an indoor temperature of 80 degrees... LIES!
I'm calling your bluff, thermostat!
Sure, you're pretty neat with your "indiglo" display that
reminds me of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles watch I used to wear in the 90's
but you're still not fooling me. The tip
of my nose feels like an ice cube... 80 degrees my hindquarters!
Temperature,
air pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine, cloudiness, and wind are all
components of weather that combine to make up something called climate. Every region of the world has a climate. Some areas are particularly rainy, some are
hot, some windy, and any permutation of all of the above.
Well,
consider that everywhere you go there is another form of climate. A sort of invisible and intangible climate,
yet one we all perceive on some level.
Have you
ever walked into a room and suddenly felt uneasy? Or perhaps there are certain people that you
feel relaxed and happy around? How about an environment that always seems to
drag you down and suck the life out of any good day you were having?
That's
the climate I'm talking about. The
"feel" we all generate everywhere we go. This climate is composed of elements like
emotion, attitude, mood, and disposition. And any given combination of people
will create a different overall atmosphere.
So, let
me cut to the chase. What kind of
climate do you create? Do you bring rays
of sunshine everywhere you go (pardon the cliche) or are you a black hole for
happiness? Maybe somewhere in between?
A number
of years ago I was listening to a good friend of mine, Joe Quernemoen, preach
about how we can influence people around us and something he said struck me.
"We
need to be atmosphere shifters."
What does
an atmosphere shifter do? Well, it's
kind of like a human thermostat. Joe was
saying wherever we go, whether it is our workplace, our school, the grocery
store, or your own home, you have the power to quite literally shift the
emotional and spiritual atmosphere.
See, your
mood is more contagious than the flu.
People around you pick up on your mood and start to show the same
symptoms. Whether thats a good thing or
bad thing is up to you.
The
apostle Paul talks about this concept in terms of a fragrance...
For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who
are being saved and among those who are perishing. (2 Corinthians 2:15 NKJV)
Are you
filling rooms with a sweet smelling aroma or are you THAT guy on the
elevator? Oftentimes it's not even in
what you say but how you act. Body
language, facial expressions, eye contact, etc. can speak volumes about what's
going on under the skin.
As a man
of God, representing Jesus, I want things to change for the better when I walk
into the room. My joy should be
contagious, my peace undeniable, my hope unfaltering, my love tangible, my
countenance a blessing, my speech full of life.
Wherever I go, I want the very atmosphere of heaven to be released and a
life-giving climate established that will last long after I leave.
I think
as Christians we sometime embrace the verse where Jesus says "We are not
of this world." (John 15:19 NLT) and use that as a crutch to justify our
introvertedness, or even worse, have an "us versus them" mentality. Maybe we even have pity on people who are
"stuck in their problems" saying to yourself "If they only knew
the error of their ways".
But let
this be a challenge to you. Yes, we are
not of this world but we are commissioned to establish the culture of our
"home" here on earth.
"Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven." (Matthew 6:10) Let's get out of our comfort zone and start
changing the world around us.
Go forth
and conquer, fellow Atmosphere Shifters!
