I live in Colorado and I’ve seen gnarly storms come screaming over the mountains that make the temperature drop 50 degrees or more in one hour. Sunshine one minute, blizzard and ice an hour later.
I’ve also seen the climate of a room change with one single comment or one person even entering the room, for both the good and the really bad. Frosty. Cold. Warm. Blustery. Those aren’t just words to describe the weather outside; they can also describe the climate of your relationships.
A simple truth that’s easy to forget is that you control the climate of your relationships. From the minute you walk into the room or start a conversation, you can have a barometric effect on any conversation.
As the husband and the spiritual leader of my house, it’s my God-given responsibility to control the climate of our marriage. My mood and tone and words and reactions all have a direct impact on everyday life, especially my relationship with my wife Kara. I set the tone on how Kara and I respond to situations and circumstances that come our way. Even if she’s had a bad day and has every right to be upset, it’s still my God-given role to give her a healthy context to process through her day in a healthy way.
The same type of climate effect is true with your co-workers, your friends, children, neighbors, even in how you handle conflict. The pressure and internal temperature you bring into the room says a lot about your perspective and priorities.
Sometimes relational storms need to rage because the status quo has dipped into unhealthy habits, but every storm has an end and the clean-up process is where healing can begin.
If you’re in a relationship that’s in an unhealthy place, whether romantic, business, or friendship, it might be time to change the climate. Be true, be careful, and be wise because storms can hurt people, especially relational storms.
May your climate give you every opportunity to bring hope and growth to the people around you. May you have the courage to ask those closest to you for an honest reading of your relational climate. And may God give you the power to control your climate through the ongoing work of Christ in your life.