This week, I learned a fascinating fact: a cricket makes a fairly good thermometer. Here’s how it works. First, count the number of times the cricket chirps during a 14-second period. Then add 40 to the total, and you will have a rough estimate of the temperature. The formula may need to be adjusted slightly for different species of crickets.

Why does this work? Crickets are “cold-blooded,” which means their body temperature is determined by the temperature around them. At higher temperatures, their metabolism runs faster (and they chirp faster), while at lower temperatures, they slow down. In other words, a cricket’s body temperature simply reflects what is going on around it.

As a Christian, are you “warm-blooded” or “cold-blooded”? Before you answer, let me define the terms for you. A warm-blooded Christian is consistent. His spiritual life has its ups and downs, but overall he stays focused on serving God. No matter who he is around, this believer is consistent, usually influencing his environment more than it influences him.

A cold-blooded Christian is much different. Like the cricket, he is a victim of circumstance. Put him around a group of committed believers (or in church on Sunday) and his spiritual light shines brightly. But surround him with non-believers, and his manner and actions quickly adjust to mirror theirs. In short, like a chameleon, this believer changes who he is and what he looks like, based on who he is around.

Jesus used many analogies to teach this principle. He spoke of believers as a light, shining in the darkness. He described us as a city built on a tall hill, visible for many miles. He compared us to salt, whose presence or absence in food is immediately evident. In short, Jesus called us to be “change agents,” people who change the world for the better, rather than being changed by the world for the worse.

Hot? Cold? Lukewarm? What is your spiritual temperature? Are you setting the temperature around you, are you just along for the ride?

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