The Value of Work

What do you think when you hear the word work? In the world today, work is something that people try to avoid. I hear people say, I should get payed for doing this, I hate my job, why do I have to do chores, I want to grow up and marry a rich man, etc. Yes, work is hard sometimes, it is time consuming, you will fail, and you will have to sacrifice, but what it teaches you is worth it all. In the For The Strength of Youth book it states, "Work is honorable. Developing the capacity to work will help you contribute to the world in which you live. It will bring you an increased sense of self-worth. It will bless you and your family, both now and in the future.

There are many ways to teach work in a family unit; through chores, working in the yard or garden, service, etc. I believe that the actual task is not what is important, yet the lessons that can be learned are things that will carry with you into the future. These may include...

Learning to rely and trust in each other.

Shared goals tend to bring others together.

Shared experiences helps you to get to know more about those you are working.

When you are working rather than playing you tend to share things and talk.

Being able to accomplishment something brings feelings of joy and value.

In the world we live in, work is seen as something that is undesirable. I am grateful for the knowledge I have that work and learning are eternal principles. We have the opportunity here on earth to learn the importance of progression and growing. I would like to share a few examples from my life of work within the home.

We had a garden growing up off and on. Sometimes for family night we would all go out and weed together. I would usually complain and not want to participate. However, looking back this was one way my dad was teaching me to appreciate the joy that comes from working together to accomplish a task. I remember that we usually did not get much done, but we were able to talk and enjoy each others company. Those moments helped me to draw nearer to my family. They also taught me that sometimes work is not desirable, but making an effort to work with others and enjoy the time it takes to work, is important. I have been able to take these things I learned from my parents and apply them now that I am in college. My roommates and I do not like doing dishes. A couple times I found my roommate doing dishes alone. I had no desire to do the dishes, however I remembered that it was an opportunity to get to know her and that as we worked together we would have more appreciation for each other. So I went for it. We did dishes together. We were able to talk about ourselves, we shared our talents by singing karaoke together, and we just chatted. I am so grateful for these simple moments we had together. I believe that I was able to get to know her in ways that only conversation could teach me.

Work is a beautiful thing. As we come to appreciate learning and progression we will be blessed to become so much more than we can imagine.