Introduction: We’ve been going through a series on teaching our Children, Deuteronomy 6:6. This lesson is the last lesson in our series however, one thing we can teach our children to do is to Labor.
To Labor means to work, to toil, to exert one’s power of body or mind, or both, to strive, to take pains.
Teaching our children to Labor should include:
I. Teaching what not to Labor for- Proverbs 23:4– Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
- Wealth– I Timothy 6:9-10 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. According to these verses- the fallacy of becoming rich makes a person fall into temptation, a snare, many foolish and hurtful lusts, it drowns me in destruction and perdition. This is what happened to the prodigal son- Luke 15:13 “wasted his substance with riotous living.”
- Career- Our identity is not found in our Career but in Christ. Luke 9:1-6, the closes mem that Jesus taught, knew that it wasn’t about a career but about doing the work of God.
- Position– Ambition, notoriety, status, etc. are traps that bring a person to want to climb up the company latter, to “boss” others around. To be in a position of authority. If we stay late, work overtime, work holidays, work while at home, always working- these things teach our children this is what life is about, this is what we labor for.
II. Teaching Laboring for the Lord– John 6:26-27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life”. God wants us to labor for things that endure unto everlasting life, most of which are not temporary of value. These same things apply to our children, they should be laboring for the Lord.
- Active in church- from Bible clubs, to youth activities, to special events. If we are here, our kids will be here. If we decide we don’t want to be here for events, they will grow up thinking it’s not important.
- Straighten up hymnals, clean, arrange, set up, break down, bake, cook, volunteer any way when you are young, then as children grow up, they will get greater tasks by God. They will be entrusted with more to their care.
- I Thessalonians 1:1-3 these had a “work of faith and labour of love”. These are not necessarily physical but spiritual toward the Lord Jesus Christ.
III. Teaching Laboring In the Home- I Thessalonians 4:11 “and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; that ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing”. (Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day, show him how to catch a fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.) If we teach our children to work, like this verse says, they will walk honestly toward them that are watching, but also they will lack nothing.
- Chores- separate clothes, folding clothes, put away their clothes.
- Responsibilities, meals, cleaning / Rotating. Clean restroom, clean their room, living room, take out trash, wash car, mow lawn, bake, cook.
- Education- laboring in doing their school work and home work. Ecclesiastes 12:12 “much study is a weariness of the flesh”.
- Devotions- This is where they learn the bed time Bible stories. This is the foundation in which they will build upon, if this is done.
- We can’t just talk about it, but do it- Proverbs 14:23 “ In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury”. Keep an eye on your child- Proverbs 20:11 “even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right”.
IV. Teaching Laboring with Others- As Christians, we have to get along with one another. Laboring for the Lord is not something that is done alone but with others in the Body of Christ. Ecclesiastes 4:9 “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour”.
- Skills to learn from others- In the body of Christ, we have some that have more experience, know the scriptures better, etc. We all benefit from learning simple skills from others. This only happens when we labor with others in the field.
- It’s for the Body of Christ- Ephesians 4:16 “every join supplieth”. The body has many parts and they are all needed in order to do the work that God wants to accomplish in the Body of Christ.
- Team Effort- I Corinthians 3:6 “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase”. Vs9 “for we are laborers TOGETHER with God.”
- God sends out by two and two- Mark 6:7 “and he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two”.
- Biblical examples include; Paul and Timothy/ Priscilla and Aquila/ Moses and Aaron/ Paul and Titus.
- Do it together, our children learn it best from our examples.
Conclusion: Everyone will Labour for something. What we want our children to understand is what not to labour for, and the things they should labor for in this life. We always want to laboring for the Lord no matter what else were doing, we want to labour in the home, and we especially want to learn to labour with other Christians in this lifetime. Not only do we need each other but we should help each other.