The Worldview of a Thermostat

On a recent Friday morning, the temperature in the building seemed cooler than normal. From time to time, we have had issues with our HVAC system, so it wasn’t a shock. Time to get to work problem-solving.

I checked the normal suspects: the program was set to RUN, not HOLD; the power breaker in the back wasn’t tripped; there was no LOW BATTERY alert. It wasn’t adding up.

I finally saw the little SA illuminated on the panel. Although we don’t have a fancy internet-connected thermostat, we do have the capability of setting a temperature for a specific time and a specific day. Normally this really helps us keep energy costs down, as we can lower the temperature on the weekends, including SA, or Saturday.

For some reason, the thermostat thought that it was Saturday, despite the fact that I knew it was Friday. So, the thermostat wasn’t really doing anything inconsistent with its programming. The temperature was right where it should have been – on a Saturday.

What a picture of how our beliefs greatly determine our actions! If we understand the world in a false way, our actions will not align with the truth. We will not be able to fulfill our purpose of glorifying God in the world.

It’s impossible to compensate for a faulty worldview. That’s why it is critical to teach children the truth from the youngest ages. At Agape Christi Academy, this instruction permeates beyond Bible class, and even academic subjects, to the very relationships we form, and the way we do our work.

Once I corrected the problem, the heat came on, and everything was as it should be. The thermostat now had the correct worldview. In the same way, may we rely on the Holy Spirit every day to make sure our ‘settings’ are in line with the truth.