Psalm 128:2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

Proverbs 10:4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

Proverbs 22:29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

31:13 She [the virtuous woman] seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

Ecclesiastes 9:10a Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might;

10:18 By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.

Ephesians 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

I Thessalonians 4:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

II Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

MEMORY VERSE: Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord. —Romans 12:11

CENTRAL THOUGHT: It was God’s plan from the beginning that man should industriously work and care for his household, while a wise woman works diligently as a keeper of her home. This work ethic, which has spiritual implications as well, should be trained into the lives of the children.

WORD DEFINITIONS

Psalm 128:2 “Labour of thine hands”: toil; hence, a work, produce, or property (as the result of labor).

Proverbs 10:4 “Slack”: remiss; lax; negligent; idle; slothful.

22:29 “Diligent”: quick; prompt; ready; skilled. “Mean”: obscure; low.

Ecclesiastes 10:18 “Decayeth”: sags or caves in. “Droppeth through”: leaks.

Romans 12:11 “Slothful”: shrinking; timid—hence idle; lazy; troublesome.

“Business”: swiftness to show zealous diligence; i.e. one’s “best” (full effort by making haste).—Helps Word Studies

LESSON BACKGROUND

When God created Adam and placed him in the beautiful garden, immediately He gave him the responsibility of dressing and keeping it. Eve was created to be Adam’s helper, suitable for him, so we know duties and responsibilities that were hers are implied here. This is part of the order that God established in the home.

After Adam and Eve sinned, their labors were intensified. Adam’s duty of providing for his family was going to require the sweat of his brow, as thorns and weeds would ever be his nemesis. Eve’s physical labors would be in the bringing forth and care of children, who would now be born in man’s image, with a natural bent toward selfishness and sin. Still she was to be her husband’s helper, to aid and succor him.

In reading the law given to the Israelites, we can see the order that God ordained in the home and community. Diligence, honesty, justice and integrity were requirements in business, finances, farming, family, and social life.

David’s writings and the wisdom of Solomon dealt much with diligence versus slothfulness. Faithfulness and hard work were enjoined, with the accompanying promise being happiness and prosperity in the home.

Paul’s writings exhorted men in the church to be examples in their work habits. He condemned laziness, dependence upon others, and dishonest means for acquiring wealth. He endeavored to be an example to them in this, as identified in II Thessalonians 3. In this passage, Paul noted that he worked hard (his occupation was tent-making) night and day to provide his own living, so he would not make the saints feel they had to support him.

—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck

DISCUSSION:

1. A Spiritual Connection: Explain the way a person’s work habits directly correlate to his spiritual success or failure.
2. Importance of Training: Do children naturally “know how” to work diligently? What about the importance of example on the part of the parents?
3. Practical Solutions: Share tried and proven ways to teach diligence, industry and initiative to children.

COMMENTS AND APPLICATION

In our current society there is a growing problem with men not rising to their responsibility to provide for their families, women not being faithful keepers at home, and young people growing into adulthood not having been taught these basic important life principles. Financial integrity and hard work must be taught by example and precept and diligently trained into children, beginning with very young children and continuing on into young adulthood. Care must be taken not to fall into the “entitlement” mentality being promoted by corrupt government policies with an ungodly world view.

Here’s a brief overview of training industry in our children: Your goal is to take them from complete dependence on you as a parent doing everything for them, to where they can live independently yet have a servant’s heart, to bring them to a place where they can help you and have the ability to take over your tasks when necessary, and also contribute to their community.

First, you start out doing the task for the child. Secondly, as he grows, you do it while he watches and you explain in detail what you are doing, how you do it, and why. Next, have him do the task with you watching and instructing. This is the part where the temptation is to “spare” the mess and do it yourself. Resist that temptation and see the process through to completion! After he has mastered it, then he can be assigned to complete that job on his own, still under the close observation of someone who “looks well” to his ways. Faithfulness, accountability, promptness and thoroughness need to be taught in the process.

Finally, there is the good feeling of accomplishment that is so vital to his self-esteem and spiritual understanding as well. A job well done is its own reward. A busy, responsible child is a happy child.

—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck

REFLECTIONS

“Why do we have to pick up rocks?” “There are too many!”“We’ll never get done!” “This is too hard!” “This is so dumb!” These are a few of the familiar words from children who are being disciplined to work. I’m not referring to a back-breaking and difficult thing, but just work around the house. Keeping children busy keeping order in the home will bring great rewards. When you expect your children to be a part of all the household duties, you are teaching them to be givers in life. Letting them practice industrious activity in the home will aid them to succeed in life. This is one reason saint’s children are sought after by businesses in the world. They become young men and women who can carry the burdens of a job. They learned hard work at home and it gave them confidence, because they were taught to listen and obey orders.

Making children obey by giving them chores to do, making it a fun opportunity, and staying with them till they are done is very important when they are little. How well do I remember this old car we had; it wasn’t a Ford or Chevy–it was a Hudson Hornet. We learned the blessing of teamwork with this old car. Every so often we would go to the dump. (For all the young readers, this was a place for the public to take their trash and dump it in large piles). We would take our BB guns and shoot rats and mice while Mama waited for us to have a little fun. Mama had to use all of our talents to operate the standard transmission in the Hudson Hornet. When we would come to a stop sign with a little incline, one would get on the floor board and operate the gas pedal while she worked the brake and clutch. When you pushed harder on the gas pedal and Mama let her foot off the clutch, it was fun to hear the engine rev up and sometimes the wheels would spin and the whole car would lurch. This whole process of the lurching, spinning, and the engine noise made the trip to the dump so much fun. I still enjoy going to the dump today!

As parents we can make the dull, monotonous things seem fun by letting our children participate. Having a home where everyone pitches in and is responsible for a few tasks, helps make the load so much lighter and makes the home more enjoyable. There is an old saying that says, “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop”. Too much entertainment without learning how to work spoils children. Remember Proverbs 29:17: “Correct thy son (work with him) and he shall give thee rest; yea he shall give delight unto thy soul.”

–Bro. James Bell