Last weekend, I had the privilege of hosting a Student Leadership Workshop. We had three churches come together, with a total of 21 students, and we spent a good part of the day equipping students to become better leaders.
To close the workshop, I borrowed a Habitude from Tim Elmore (click here to read about him). I asked students if they were a thermostat or thermometer.
Thermometers take the temperature of the room and reflect it. They do not control how hot or cold something is, but instead passively reveal the current state.
Thermostats set the temperature of the room. They determine how hot or cold a room is at the moment, and what it will be in the future.
My dream for student leaders is that they realize they have the potential to become a thermostat and set the temperature of the room through their actions, their behaviors, and their interactions with other people.
I love watching student leaders step up and lead. Few things compare with watching teenagers begin to realize they’re not too young to make a difference.
In my own life, I personally would like to become more of a thermostat than a thermometer. What about you?