Are You a Radiator or a Drain
By Keith Hartrick, East Leeds Magazine, January 2012
That’s an interesting question, isn’t it? Before we answer let’s consider the difference between the two.
A radiator gives out warmth and is connected to a hidden source of power. Most people, coming indoors on a cold winter’s day, have gone and stood next to a radiator to warm themselves up. Radiators are warm and welcoming; you could say they attract people.
In contrast a drain is a bit mysterious. You can see only the metal grille at the top of a drain; whatever flows into it just disappears. Sometimes they can be smelly and surely nobody goes and stands next to a drain for a bit of warmth and comfort. Of course drains do perform a useful function, as you will know if you’ve ever had a blocked one, but most people are not attracted to them. In the same way you get radiator and drain type people.
People who are like radiators tend to be warm and welcoming. They are positive people who take a genuine interest in others. Radiator types leave you feeling encouraged and uplifted. You want to spend time standing next to them being warmed up emotionally.
People who are like drains have the opposite effect. They are not so interested in others as the focus is often on themselves. Drain type people can leave us emotionally down, quite literally drained. We don’t want to spend too much time with them for the sake of our health!
So what do you expect a Christian to be? Jesus Christ was the ultimate radiator type person. People were attracted to him, crowds followed him, he radiated love and encouragement.
So Christians try to be radiators, people you want to be around. But because we are human we can sometimes be drains. Christians, like radiators, are connected to the source of power. God sends his encouragement and comfort and we are able to have a relationship with and talk to our Father and read the words of life. If we are distracted or depressed we can take our troubles to God and seek the strength to overcome them or bear with them.
Often when we have a tendency to be a drain it’s because we have become focused on ourselves, which is all too easy in the modern world in which we live.
However, contact with God drains away our cares and enables us to focus outwardly on the needs and concerns of others.
For Christians the challenge is to be a radiator type person for most of the time, seeking to serve and encourage others as we have opportunity.
At Grace Communion we preach Christ’s love and forgiveness for all people and seek to reflect that love in our daily lives and at our church service.
We invite you to join us at our weekly Saturday afternoon service. We may not radiate perfectly all the time but we hope you will find enough warmth to want to come again, just like you would stand next to a radiator on a cold winter’s day!
We offer an invitation to everyone to come along
to our small group of ordinary people who meet
on most Saturdays at 2pm for a Christian
service, friendship, tea and biscuits at
The GVWA Hall, Pendas Way, Crossgates,
Leeds LS15 8LE. Come and discover God's love for you
and His amazing plan for your future!
There is nothing to ‘join’,no membership, just an
open door to come and go as you please.
We also provide free monthly articles on
request. Please email to gcleeds@aol.co.uk ,
write to the above address or telephone 07852 981133.
Article author : Keith Hartrick
