Everyone Has Work to Do - Even Kids! (Sample from Kids Can! 28-Day Family Devotional)
Video / Produced by TOW ProjectThe new book from the Theology of work Project connects the Bible to the everyday work children and parents do. In this 28-day family devotional, each chapter is framed by a concern that real-life children might have about their work. Examples include: “I don’t want to work,” “My teacher is mean,” or “It’s not fair.” Each of these felt needs is explored through a Scripture, a story, a commentary, discussion questions, and a prayer. The stories, though fictional, resemble the real work lives of children and parents.
Sample from Kids Can! 28 Day Family Devotional, Upholding the Biblical Value of Work
Everyone Has Work to Do
The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it... So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one.
A Kid's Story
Sean woke up to his little sister shouting, "NO!"
Through the doorway of his bedroom, Sean could see Riley stomping her foot in the hallway wearing only a diaper. Sean's stepfather was standing above her, holding out a pink dress. Riley was hugging a pair of fuzzy pajamas to her chest.
"NO!" Riley screamed. "I do it myself!"
"Sweetie, you can't wear fleece pajamas when it's eighty-five degrees outside."
"I do it myself!" Riley yelled back.
"Look, let me help you put on this dress. I have to go soon. I'm working today."
Riley screamed, "NO! I'm working today!"
The Bible Connects with Life
A toddler can be loud while she works out what her job is. When a kid slows down the work of the house, parents can get loud and frustrated, too. In all this noise, you might forget that work is a good thing. But everyone - toddlers, kids, and grownups - is made to work. Everyone wants meaningful work to do. God designed us this way.
When God made the first person, God gave him a job. Genesis 2:15 says that God put Adam in the garden "to tend and watch over it." God also gave Adam the job of naming all the animals. God created them, and Adam named them. They worked as partners.
A home is a place for partnership, too. Imagine your family is a team. Each one of you has different skills, likes, and dislikes. God put your family together for a reason.
Parents and Kids Try This Together
Name one thing you do at home that makes you feel proud of yourself. It could be a skill like cooking a tasty meal or putting together a cool outfit. Or, it could be something you do for the sake of the household, like raking leaves or washing the dishes. Whatever job makes you feel proud, say, "God created me to ___________. When I ____________, I'm helping my family team, and I'm partnering with God!"
Theology of Work Project Online Materials by Theology of Work Project, Inc. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Based on a work at www.theologyofwork.org
You are free to share (to copy, distribute and transmit the work), and remix (to adapt the work) for non-commercial use only, under the condition that you must attribute the work to the Theology of Work Project, Inc., but not in any way that suggests that it endorses you or your use of the work.
© 2014 by the Theology of Work Project, Inc.
Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, Copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.
