THE THERMOSTAT
by Jeanette Berry,
October, 1974
Our home has a
thermostat in a most unusual place,---on the wall opposite the
fireplace. The cozy fire that is such a pleasure warms the
thermostat and the rest of the house gets cold.
That thermostat
that controls the temperature of the house can well be likened to
the wife and mother in the home. A warm, radiant, happy home
or a cold, dull, lifeless house reflects the attitudes and the
actions of the wife and mother of the home. Don't be like
our thermostat satisfied when one room is warm. Realize your
full responsibility to be all that God intended. Because of
this God speaks in His Word to the wife specifically.
1st Peter says that
God considers a meek and a quiet spirit of great price. I
don't think a quiet spirit comes naturally to a woman. Our
spirit is like a monster that must be tamed. Worry,
hysterical fears, nervousness, and "the jitters" have no place in
the home God ordained. I have heard the quaint saying, "If mama
ain't happy, ain't nobody happy". In spite of the language,
I think that is true. God gave a blueprint for a home with
the wife/mother at ease, with bright, sparkling eyes, and a
confident smile. Peace and trust follows a quiet
spirit and sets the temperature for the home.
Proverbs 31 tells
us that "the law of kindness should be in our mouths."
Again, this is not necessarily a natural characteristic, but one
that is absolutely necessary for the spiritual temperature.
How fitting that God directed it to the woman. We speak
kindly to our friends, neighbors, and even to strangers and then
neglect this virtue with the most important people,---our husband,
children, and other family members. Our message is carried
by the manner in which we speak far more than the actual words we
use. Nevertheless, I have learned to appreciate this little
verse,
"I try to watch the words I speak, to keep them soft and
sweet,
For I don't know from day to day which ones I'll have to eat!"
Make kindness a law in your life and you will be surprised what it
does to the temperature of your home.
Love is a necessity
for the proper temperature, and again the wife is the controlling
factor. Love must be expressed. You have a great
opportunity to do little things for each member of your family to
express your love and teach them to do so.
If the atmosphere
of your home is cold, then check your thermostat--you! Let
others see Christ in your home by the warmth of peace, love,
kindness. And be an example of a meek and quiet spirit
which is of great price in the eyes of God.
Copyright © 2008 Truth Helpers Inc.
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