God Works (Part Five)

“But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.’” (John 5:17)

One of the best ways to teach children not only to work but to love work and enjoy work is to have them be your “little helpers.” Doing work together is almost always more enjoyable than working alone, or at least it is for those who are learning a task and may find it overwhelming otherwise. My six-year-old will pick up his toys on his own, but we still occasionally have “races” to see who can pick up the most blocks or cars or trains first. We have always enjoyed working in the yard together as a family, and my children have seen firsthand how “many hands make light work.” Even adults, I think, really enjoy doing tasks (like cooking or cleaning or yard work) together, and if they don’t, it often stems from bad experiences where perhaps they were criticized or ridiculed in some way.

Which criticism don’t do. The way to help someone improve is usually through praise for what has been done well, encouragement, and gentle direction: “That’s great! You’re really good at that! Now let me show you a little trick that will help you do even better. Keep up the good work—you’ll get the hang of it in no time.” This is especially important where little children are concerned.

Criticism or too exacting standards will diminish confidence and create passive children who are willing for others (who can do it “better”) to do things for them or instead of them. And even if these children do learn how to do things and are by the nature of things forced to do them because life’s work simply comes to them, if they have been criticized, they will never really feel good about the job they have done, will never feel like things are good enough, and will never really feel the satisfaction all good work leads to. After all, God the Father Himself, who really is perfect, condescends to include us in His work and encourages us and rewards us, even though our very best efforts are bound to fall far short.

Speaking of rewards, teach children the reward of work as well. Not all work can be rewarded monetarily, and that is not really a very true picture of life anyway, since nobody pays us money to make our own beds, cook our own meals, and do our own laundry. But all work can be rewarded with praise, which is usually far more important to children than money anyway. Some jobs ought to be “paid for,” however, and this is helpful in teaching children about money as well: how to tithe, how to save, how to give, and that the things of life are not only given to us by God (for which we ought always to be grateful) but they are earned, worked for. Even the gifts God gives us cost Him and others something. Things have value and are worth working for.

God works—for our sakes and for His own glory. He made us in His image, and He has given us our work too—which leads to the very same things: not only our own provision but good gifts and service to others and ultimately to the glory of God who gives us all things—including work—to enjoy. When we follow in His steps and seek to be like our heavenly Father, we will find ourselves delighting in the labor of our hands and heart and minds as well as in all the glorious fruits that come from such labor.

“Great God in heaven above, we give thanks this day for Your wonderful love for us that includes Your never-ending work on our behalf. We pray once again that You would make us like You: that we would work diligently for Your glory, for Your kingdom, for the good of others, as well as to the satisfaction of ourselves. Grant us joy in the midst of our labors, and give us the fruit of our hands, we pray, dear God, in the name of our blessed Lord and Savior. Amen.”