Monday, May 25, 2015

Guest Post on Work by Naomi

Our eldest daughter wrote this wonderful report on work and serving others.  It is so awesome, I want to share it.  It is inspiring to ME on days when kid care is challenging and not much fun.

Report on Work and Service

By Naomi

Topic: Why is it good for me to work and serve others?

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Work isn't fun. Most people would agree with that statement. Dissatisfaction with work or a job is a common complaint. Many worn-out and busy people wish that the house would just clean itself, the food would cook itself, the job would do itself, and the kids would take care of themselves, leaving them free to do more interesting things.

But, people that never work are often quite unhappy, such as those who have enough money that they don't need to work. Although work isn't fun, your life can feel pointless if you never do any of it. What do you accomplish by watching TV or reading comic books all day? Nothing. Work gives you a sense of fulfillment; you're accomplishing something good.

All work has both positive sides and negative sides, and while you shouldn't do a job simply because you like it, it's worthwhile to make a list of all the positive things about the job and make an effort to focus on them. This will be good for your emotional health and help you to feel better about a job, even if it has a ton of negative things. On the flip side, focusing on the negative things will make you feel more depressed about the work, which could lead you to perform poorly, quit the job or just complain all the time to your family or friends.

Unless you're a millionaire, work is simply necessary. It is good to do work simply because it needs to be done. The house does not, in fact, clean itself. If you don't clean, the house gets dirty. The food doesn't cook itself, so you need to cook, or you'll end up living on restaurant meals or canned corn. Your job won't do itself; you need to do it or you'll get fired. If you have kids, they probably won't take care of themselves, especially if they're young. Not working has serious consequences, especially if you are an adult and own a job or are in college.

Some people argue that kids shouldn't be forced to do any work until they get to college or a real job, that they should just be allowed to enjoy their childhood, but that is poor advice. Besides the obvious fact that doing all the work will wear out the parents, kids who are suddenly thrust into college or a job won't know how to work. After all, they've never done it before. They will probably end up procrastinating and wasting time doing other things, which could lead to being thrown out of college or losing their job. Enjoying a work-free childhood isn't worth being unable to get a job or college degree as an adult. Working some during the kid and teen years prepares a person for the rigors of being a college student or job employee.

Finally, as Christians, God instructs us to serve other people. One of those ways is to do work to help others who need it. Christians should work to serve others, even if they don't really feel like it at the moment. Kids can serve their parents and siblings, adults can help family, friends, or volunteer at a non-profit organization.


So, although you shouldn't be a workaholic and work constantly, some work is good for you, even as a child or teenager. It prepares you for the real world, gives you satisfaction, and is part of obeying God's laws.

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