Ward Williams shares the importance of teaching kids why we work

Why do you work? At some point in your life, you may have been asked this question or even questioned it yourself. It is one of the most important questions an adult will answer. This question is also one that parents should discuss with their children.

Ward Williams

Most adults, for most of history, worked to survive. Their work provided food, security, shelter, and other essentials needed to stay alive. There is a country song by Jamey Johnson I really like that tells a story about a family as they look through old black-and-white photographs about growing up in the Depression, surviving war, and getting married young and poor. The chorus goes, “If it looks like we were scared to death, like a couple of kids just tryin’ to save each other, you should’ve seen it in color.” There has been a desperation surrounding our work for most of our history. The “why” behind our work says a lot about our morals, values, and beliefs. If your biggest goal in your employment is making money, going on a vacation, saving up to retire, finding yourself, finding enjoyment, then the “why” is going to be a relatively new reason to work compared to historical norms. The rise in technology, medical advances, and increase in standard of living have spawned numerous new industries and ways for people to earn a living.

Our kids are continuously receiving messages that their lives are all about them. The average teenager in the United States owns more technology, more stuff, and has a higher disposable income than any other time in our history. It is easy for teenagers today to be selffocused with a high emphasis on social media, including TikTok and Instagram. As parents, we have to realize that our kids are never going to be happy or find their purpose when they are focused on themselves and living for a world that exists to build social influence. We have to have strategic talks about the one thing that is going to take up the majority of their adult life: their jobs.

We have to talk about how to work hard, the benefits of working well, and the difference they can make. Based on personal experience, I believe that our kids want to be involved in missions, organizations, and activities that make a difference. We are created to be relational difference-makers. We must work to model and teach our kids how to use our work to make a difference. Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Having small daily conversations with your kids about why and who they are working for can make all the difference in the world.