2 Thessalonians 3:10 “For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.”

FIRST JOBS

My dad taught me the value of work. I began working young. My brother and I had a lawn mowing business. My dad built a small little trailer that we pulled behind our Cub Cadet lawnmower. We would put our push mower and gas can in that trailer and off we would go. Of course, my big brother got to drive the Cub Cadet. I would follow along on my bike. Later I worked with my cousin or uncle in the tobacco fields of South Georgia working all day (daylight to dusk) harvesting the fields. I think I made $10 a day to begin. And then later when I got old enough (14 or so) I got my first job at a business, washing cars and changing oil at a gas station.

Those jobs taught me the value of hard work, and I earned enough money to buy my first car with cash. Now all we hear is how we need to raise the minimum wage, and we see people demanding free stuff from the government. You are probably saying about right now, “Carl, I thought this was a devotional, not a diatribe on the economy.” Lol.  You’re right. But look at the verse again. Paul is telling the Thessalonians that we should all work and not rely on others to provide for us. Read that verse in context and you will get an even clearer picture of his admonition.

TEACHING MOMENT

Teaching your children God’s Word means teaching them all of God’s Word. Your children need to learn the value of work. They need to learn what hard work is. They need to earn their own money so they can appreciate it when they go to the store and see the price of that toy or video game they want so bad. Simply handing over the “dough” to them every time they ask will teach them a very bad habit.

It’s okay for your child to go without sometimes. Now I am NOT saying to not feed them. That is not what Paul is saying either. But I am saying teach them the honor of work. They will appreciate what you do give them much more when they do.