Work is Good
About 10 minutes, plus hands-on activity and discussion.
Think about it
Have you ever worked hard to create something, like a drawing, a meal, or a garden? In this lesson, we’re going to talk about why work is good and how it’s part of God’s plan for us. Just like when we work to create something, God worked to create the world, and He saw that it was good. We were made in His image, and He gave us work to do too, and our work has a divine purpose. As we explore this new section on earning money, we’ll discover that work isn’t just something we do to earn money; it’s also a way we can serve God and others.
Let’s Learn
What is Work?
Work is any effort we put into something to make it happen. Whether it’s helping a friend, doing chores at home, or learning something new at school, work involves using our time, energy, and skills to achieve a goal. However, work is not just about earning money. It’s about using the talents God has given us to serve others and honor Him. Work takes many different forms, such as working with our hands, minds, or hearts. Some people work in physical jobs, like a construction worker, while others use their creativity, knowledge, or talents to help others, like a doctor or an architect. But no matter what kind of work it is, it has value when done with a purpose.
In the Beginning, God Worked
In Genesis, we learn that God worked for six days to create the world. Though God did not need to work—He is the Creator and Almighty—He chose to work as part of His divine plan. Each day, He completed a part of His creation, and after each day, He called His work “good.” At the end of the sixth day, when everything was completed, He said, “It is very good.” When God worked, it wasn’t about receiving something in return. His work was an act of creation, bringing life and order to the universe.
God chose to work as part of His divine plan, expressing His will to create and bring about good in the world.
When God created humans, He gave Adam a task: to care for the garden of Eden. This demonstrates that work is a part of God’s plan for us, and we are created in His image to work as He did. Like God, we are created to create, build, and care for the world He made.
Work Matters, and Work is good
Work is necessary for life. We all need to work to provide for ourselves and others. Whether it’s through doing chores, going to school, or working a job, we all depend on work to meet our basic needs, like food, shelter, and clothes. Work is a part of life, and it’s an important way that we contribute to the world around us.
Work isn’t just about making money. We need work to live, but it’s also a way to help God and others because it’s part of His good plan. God made work so we can take care of the world He made. Since we are God’s special creation, made to do good things (as we read in Ephesians 2:10), our work has an important purpose: to show God’s love, use our special gifts, and help people. Whether it’s helping at home or doing a job outside, every kind of work is important.
Work is good because it’s part of who we are as humans made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). Proverbs 14:23 says, “All hard work brings a profit.” That means when we work hard, good things happen! Work helps us earn money, but it’s also about doing what God wants us to do and using the special gifts He gave us to help others.
The opposite of work: Laziness
Work is so good! But what if we choose to not work? One word used to describe a person’s choice to not work is called laziness. The Bible warns against laziness. Laziness is not God’s plan for us. The Proverbs offer several strong warnings about laziness, emphasizing that it leads to poverty and destruction. When we are lazy, we waste the gifts and talents God has given us, and we miss the opportunity to serve Him and others. Laziness is a dangerous trap because it not only affects us but also impacts those around us. God calls us to be diligent, to use our time wisely, and to work hard with a heart to serve Him.
The Bible teaches that people who work hard and don’t give up will be successful, but those who are lazy will have a hard time later. In Proverbs 12:24, we are reminded that “diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.” Being lazy doesn’t just mean not working hard, it also means not doing the things we’re supposed to do and missing out on what God wants us to do. Work takes effort and work is hard. When we work hard, we grow stronger in our character, learn new things and grow in wisdom, and learn to trust God more.
Words to Know
Work is doing something to get a job done or help others.
Purpose is the reason why we do something.
To serve is to help or take care of others.
Let’s Play!
Drag the Words Game
Instructions: Is it work, or not? Drag each word into the correct category.
Bible Time
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
— Ephesians 2:10
This verse reminds us that we are specially made by God to do good work. Our work is not just about what we earn or achieve, but also about using the gifts God gave us to help others and follow His plan. When we work with a good heart, we are doing what God created us to do.
With Your Grown-Up
If a grown-up or parent is nearby, spend a minute to discuss one or more of these topics.
Hands On
Put learning into action! Download the activity and dive into a fun, practical way to explore today’s lesson.
What we Learned
In this lesson, we learned that work is not just about what we do to survive, but about how we serve others and fulfill God’s will. Work is good when it’s done with a heart to honor God and help others. By working with purpose and diligence, we participate in God’s bigger plan for the world, showing His love and care through the work we do. In the lessons to come, we’ll learn how having a Biblical way of thinking about work changes how we work, and how the way we work can affect our lives and the people around us.
Check Your Understanding
High-Five!
Hit play for your end-of-lesson video!