For Kids · 3 min with a grown-up
In Proverbs 6, Solomon teaches a lesson about working hard - and his teacher is one of the smallest creatures of all!
Today's Story
Solomon had a funny way of teaching about hard work. He said, “If you want to learn to work, go watch an ant!”
Have you ever watched ants? They are tiny. No one is bossing them around. No one says, “Hurry up!” or “Get back to work!” And yet they are always busy.
In the warm summer, when there's plenty of food, the ant doesn't just play all day. It gathers food and stores it up. Why? Because the ant is thinking ahead. It knows that winter is coming, when food is hard to find. So it gets ready early.
Solomon said, “You can learn a lot from that little ant! Don't be lazy. Don't sleep the day away and put off your jobs.”
He wasn't saying we can never rest or play. Resting is good! He was saying: do your part. When there's a job to do, do it. Work first, and the little jobs won't pile up into big problems.
A Big Word
Memory Verse
Talk About It
- The ant gets ready for winter before it comes. What is a job you could do today so it doesn't turn into a big problem later? (Like putting toys away, or packing your bag for tomorrow?)
- No one has to tell the ant to work - it just does it. What's a chore you could do without being asked?
- Solomon doesn't say resting is bad. How can you tell the difference between good resting and being lazy?