A large sign in my kitchen reads, “Work hard and Be Nice.” I always add, “like Jesus.” Recently, 25 or so — but who’s counting? — of our children, their spouses and grandchildren stayed in our home for a raucous, joyful family reunion. One of my sons in a futile effort to get me to sit down pasted the words “Rest and relax” over “Work hard.”
We need some of both — relaxation and work — but we do need both in our lives.
So, I was pleasantly surprised several days ago when I opened my door midmorning to a small 8- or 9-year-old boy on my front porch. His shoulders were rolled forward. He was half-turned, and his head was down as he mumbled his sales pitch, explaining — I think — that he was making money for camp selling candy bars for $1 and mini candy bars for 50 cents. His father — I silently blessed him — stood beside a minivan in our cul-de-sac, giving of his time to help his son learn the importance of work.
I always buy from these young entrepreneurs. Hurrah for them!
My children grew up doing a morning paper route. In their early teens my girls ran summer craft camps for neighborhood children. Our boys ran a successful business selling cherries picked in our backyard. It passed brother to brother and became popular enough they not only sold on street corners but took advance orders from neighbors. My children variously power-washed fences, driveways and garbage cans, babysat and did yard work in the neighborhood until age 16 presented additional opportunities.
I spoke with my daughter recently about her 9-year-old son, Spencer, and his lemonade/candy stand. After earning $22 watering a vacationing neighbor’s yard, Spencer reinvested the $22 in lemonade mix and candy, made posters (with his mom’s help) and opened for business on a street corner. He made $48, of which $26 was additional profit. He’s already planning on increasing his inventory of goodies and has a new selling spot selected for his next venture.
Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with parents helping their children financially in ways that provide them opportunities and open their eyes to the world around them. However, I cringe when a child is handed everything on a “silver platter.” I’ve known many young people who would otherwise have developed skills, self-confidence, a solid work ethic and a can-do attitude, but for the enfeebling efforts of their parents who gave them what they wanted with little or no effort on the child’s part. And then the parents were surprised — really??? — when their child, from youth and on into adulthood, often expected them to step in when they hit a challenge or hardship, rather than digging down deep, making sacrifices, resolutely laboring and figuring a way out of the problem on their own.
Any child who has not been taught to appreciate the value of work, the value of education, and how to earn and manage money has been done, to my mind, a terrible disservice.
I stumbled upon an article titled "8 Biblical Principles of Work" posted on crosswalk.com that lists some reasons for, and benefits of, learning to work. I quote from and paraphrase it here:
1. God ordained that mankind work as he did (see Genesis 1). When we work we develop godlike skills, such as planning, implementing and creativity.
2. God decreed, “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground” (Genesis 3:19). Meaningful activity is critical to human beings.
3. “God did not create work as drudgery, but as a gift of fulfillment to life.” Work can be repetitive but it provides great satisfaction as we successfully accomplish tasks.
4. Work provides money or resources to supply life’s necessities, satisfaction from a job well done and is a way to serve God.
5. Good workers are obedient, diligent, consistent and loyal. They recognize Jesus Christ as their ultimate “boss” and act with integrity, respect and fairness toward others.
6. We set a standard of excellence in our work by “render(ing) service, as to the Lord, and not to men” (Ephesians 6:6-7, English Standard Version). God’s standard should be the human standard.
7. All types of work, if legal and ethical, are honorable before the Lord. Work glorifies God and fulfills the individual (see1 Corinthians 10:31).
8. A strong work ethic and personal integrity are powerful witnesses to the reality of Christ and the difference he makes in his followers’ lives (Matthew 5:16).
We cripple our children emotionally when we do for and give to them without any effort on their part. Don’t cheat your children out of the privilege of learning to work. Give them wings to fly and help them gain confidence, self-esteem, determination, creativity, resourcefulness and the ability to persevere, by providing them opportunities and requiring them to “Work hard and Be Nice.”