With my husband working long hours now, not being able to do many of the tasks needing done in our home, my honey “to do” list is growing. I’m thankful for a teenage son who enjoys working and can carry out most of “dads” work. I believe my husband will agree as well.

We have needed a new shoe rack as ours has grown too small, what a great task to give to my boys to make. With some trial and error, some suggestions from mom, they came out with my new shoe rack. Such a sense of accomplishment from the boys, to be able to share in doing a useful productive task for our family.

In today’s society we have lost the importance of training our boys to be hard-working men. What is the good of knowing how to read or write when the young man doesn’t have the heart to work?  Today’s boys are often forced to sit for hours,year after year in front of books. Child labor laws don’t even let them work hard hours until after 12 to 16 years of age, then folks wonder why teenagers just want to sit on the couch and play video games all day long.

A boy who learns to love work will master his school work when it’s needed . He will learn to read what’s important. But in the meantime, his interaction with things that are practical will offer the wisdom he needs to direct himself into useful pursuits, and empower him to provide for a family of his own in the days to come .

The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. –Proverbs 13:4

Within every man is the desire to work. Even though some men don’t even know that is there. However when necessity or some pressing authority is pushing that in a constructive useful way, most men will learn to enjoy work. They will love to build, to create, to make useful practical things.

I pray you train your boys to become future, hard-working men.

 If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.               2 Thessalonians 3:10-12