Lately at my house, I've heard a lot of "But that's too much work for me," "But cleaning up is boring," "But work is too hard," and similar phrases - all from my 4 year old. This has come as a surprise to me, since having my kids do chores even at a young age is a big part of our lives. Then I heard myself say, "I'd like to come play with you, honey. But unfortunately, I have to work."
Ooops.
So, whether you need to adjust your work ethic, or you need to adjust your kids' too, here are some thoughts to ponder:
* Paul tells us those who work too little not only become idle, they are more apt to sin (I Timothy 5:13). On the other hand, the Bible is quite clear that working too much is a bad thing (Proverbs 23:4). Balance is what it's all about.* God designed work not just for our own independence and freedom, but so we can help others. (Ephesians 4:28) In other words, by working hard, we can serve other people - thereby serving God.
* God wants us to find satisfaction in our work (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13). Which is much easier to do if you remember my next point... * Whether we particularly like our work or not, the Bible tells us "Whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward You are serving the Lord Christ." (Colossians 3:23 - 24) That kind of says it all. Don't rush, don't skimp. Do your best. So here's my plan. I'm going to make a concerted effort to only speak of my work in positive ways. I'm going to approach my work as if it's a privilege and a great opportunity... Because it is! Whether I'm writing an article to inspire others to seek God or I'm scrubbing the toilet, the God says my work is good. My work is powerful. My work is holy. How's that for a message to pass on to your children?
wow! this is a really great post!! reminds me of that commercial about setting examples to our children...they are our photocopies, you know?
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked the post, Tereza. And yep, they are photocopies! I always say having kids is a good way to improve yourself!
ReplyDeleteI've run into the same things. Worse: I hear myself saying "mommy has work to do" when really I just want some time to myself on the computer.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious what kind of discipline you recommend when kids DON'T do their work. I understand work should be encouraged and viewed in a positive light, but the truth is it simply isn't ALWAYS viewed that way. Punishments may actually perpetuate the negative attitudes. So how do we get the jobs done (by our kids) even when they don't want to do them?
Some chores must be done, so we revoke privileges from our 4 1/2 if she doesn't do them. The trick for me is to not keep reminding her or threatening repeatedly. As they author of "Have a New Kid by Friday" says ( http://proverbsthirtyonewoman.blogspot.com/2010/03/have-new-kid-by-friday.html ), ask the child to do it once, walk away expecting her to do it, then revoke privileges if she doesn't. It sounds easy, but for me the whole "tell 'em once" thing is hard.
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