Parenting from Proverbs: The Importance of Hard Work

Proverbs 6:6-11:

Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise,
Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler,
Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest.
How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep—
So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.

It is easy to fall into the trap of laziness and avoid working hard (or doing work at all for that matter). There is great value in being a hard worker, and Solomon describes the wisdom of working hard in Proverbs 6:6-11. I need to instruct my children to be hard workers.  I want to teach my children to be like the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31, who not only worked hard, but worked hard willingly. I want to teach my children to be like the people of Nehemiah’s day who “had a mind to work” (Neh. 4:6).  I want to teach my children to be like Paul who worked hard spreading the gospel. I want my children to see the worth in working hard for God, their Christian family, their neighbors, and themselves.

More Parenting from Proverbs

Trying to Do Better Everyday

I guess now isn’t the appropriate time to write a New Year’s Resolution post, considering we’re a week into February, but I guess the thoughts behind this post really are a resolution of sorts.

For a long time, I’ve made major goals that require serious lifestyle changes all at once. I’ve finally recognized that I don’t ever achieve those goals because they require too much change at one time.  I’ve come to realize that I need to take little baby steps everyday in progression to an ultimate goal. I’m thankful to the Flylady and her methods for pointing this out to me within the realm of taking care of my home. I still have a long way to go when it comes to taking care of my home, but I have come such a long way – by taking baby steps rather than a giant leap. Sure, I could spend a weekend crash cleaning my home, but without putting good habits into place, I’ll need to do that cleaning again because it will just go back to the way it was before.

There are lots of areas I want to improve upon in my life and one of the main purposes behind starting this blog was to keep myself accountable and to push myself in those areas. Along the way I’ve learned that my focus should be to do a little better than the day before, and I’ll be making good progress whether that be in keeping my house in order or eating healthier or going to bed earlier or doing a better job budgeting or having more patience with my kids or having a stronger prayer life. By doing a little better everyday, I’ll be hopefully changing my life in such a way as to embed good new habits that lead to the major lifestyle changes I really want to make.

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On a completely unrelated note, my photo of Ella that won first place in the Paper Mama’s Photo Challenge is in a vote-off for the best photo of the month. I’d love a vote if you like my photo! :)

Qualities for My Children: Hard Work

Although I wrote my introductory post about instilling qualities in my children several weeks ago, it has taken me a while to get back to the topic. I think, well, actually I know, it is because I'm really struggling to get my ideas together, and I want to make a truly complete post about each quality. I've come to the realization that I need to sit down and write each of these posts to make me really study each quality. There is no real reason to the order in which I'm writing about these qualities. I'm just writing about them as I've had time to really think about the quality and meditate on what I truly want my children to display in their lives. I will freely admit that I don't always display these qualities the way I should in my life, and I hope this study will help me personally as well.

I want my children to be hard workers. I want them to put their all into what they do. I want them to understand what their responsibilities are and to complete the actions necessary to take care of the responsibilities. I want them to work hard whether or not me or my husband is watching them. I want them to recognize there is a need, and without being told, take care of the need without complaining. I really have some high expectations here!

Consider Colossians 3:22-24:

Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

While I know the servant-master relationship is not the same as the child-parent relationship, I think a general principal can be applied from this passage. The servant is to work as working for the Lord, and not only for men. This is an important principal which is tied directly to hard work.

I hope that my children become individuals who work hard at their job, who work hard at their marriage and parenting, and who work hard at studying God's Word and spreading the Gospel to others. I want them to become individuals who work hard, often expecting nothing in return, but working hard because it is the right thing to do.

How do I teach my children to be hard workers? I think that as I write about these qualities, my first answer to how do I teach my children about the quality is going to be the same: I teach them by example. How can I expect my children to be hard workers if I am not? How can I expect them to complete tasks without complaining if I don't? The questions could go on. I know that I don't always put the effort and proper attitude into the things I need to do. I really need to work on myself when it comes to hard work; perhaps this is one of the reasons this quality came first to my mind.

I can also teach them about hard work by making them put the quality into practice. As an example, I'm reminded of something I read in the parenting book I've mentioned before, Your Mama Don't Dance by Glenn and Cindy Colley. One thing the authors suggested dealing with chores was something I had never thought about before. The authors suggest that you don't pay your children for doing chores that are and should be expected of them. There are many reasons for this, but I think in application to hard work, it teaches children that hard work is expected of them, and they should pull their part without having to be rewarded for their work with money or some other type of payment.

Leading by example and requiring my children to put this quality into practice are probably the most powerful ways I can teach my children about hard work. However, I must also communicate directly with them about hard work, especially considering what they Bible says about hard work. Here are some more verses to consider:
Ecclesiastes 9:10:
Whatever you hand finds to do, do it with you might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
Proverbs 6:6:
Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise.
Proverbs 12:24:
The hand of the diligent will rule, But the lazy man will be put to forced labor.
Proverbs 15:19:
The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, But the way of the upright is a highway.

Now that I've finished writing this post, I realize that there are many qualities I want to write about that are interwoven within this post. As I continue my posts on this series, I'll link posts back so it will be as complete as possible!