Wally and Stephanie Lowman have their own game of keep-the-furnace-shut-off. This is the thermostat at their house.
With the coming of winter, the Weller household is all set for the latest variation of an annual theme: the thermostat wars. While Mrs. Weller likes a cooler household, I prefer it a bit warmer. Evidence of this disparity can be found in our sleeping quarters. On her side of the bed is a fan. On my side of the bed is an extra quilt. Ours is the only bedroom I know of with hooks in the ceiling for hanging sides of beef. (Okay, that is an exaggeration – but not much of one.)
Naturally, our temperature preferences affect how we set the thermostat. She likes it hovering around 62 degrees while I prefer it a slightly warmer 65 degrees. While 65 is downright frosty by most folks’ standards, let Mrs. Weller catch me fiddling with the thermostat, and the fun begins. Our thermostat rocks back and forth so frequently that our furnace gets seasick.
Apparently we’re not alone. According to a servicemagic.com internet poll, nearly six in ten couples occasionally argue over climate control with 55 percent of America’s thermostat battles being “won” by the woman of the house. Only 40 percent of those surveyed said that the men in their lives have the final say over who controls the temperature. I guess I’ll just have to keep sneaking the thermostat up when I can, and put a sweater on when I can’t.
All this talk of temperature makes me wonder: who controls the spiritual temperature in your home? On this point, the Bible is pretty clear. It is the man’s responsibility to see to it that his wife and children are growing in their faith. According to the Apostle Paul, “the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church.” If my wife’s spiritual growth has plateaued, I need to act. The same is true for my children. The Old Testament makes it clear that I am to “train up a child in the way that he should go.”
Of course, it takes two parents to raise children. But, ultimately, if my household is not a Christ-like one, I am the one who will answer for it. That is a weighty responsibility, one which all men need to take seriously.
So let me ask? Who sets the temperature in your home?