Have you heard the phrase, “Don’t be a thermometer, be a thermostat”? A thermometer reads the temperature of the room and responds to it. A thermostat sets the temperature.

Are you setting the spiritual temperature of the room? Or do you find yourself constantly responding to how your kids are acting (and are you letting that determine the kind of parent you will be)? Are you basing the kind of spouse you are today on your husband or wife’s mood? Are you responsive to the virtue – or lack thereof – in your workplace, and letting that determine how you interact with the people around you?

As we look ahead to the new school year, God is sending each of us out to serve in our homes and our communities. As Paul writes in his letter to the Philippians, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus…[He] emptied himself, taking the form of a slave” (2:5-7).

Walk into a room and be a blessing. Think about how you can increase the joy in every situation. Be responsive to God, instead of those around you, and start thinking about how you can be a joy and a blessing to your family, friends, and co-workers.

August Newsletter – Real Life Catholic