Work and Family

Last week in Family Relations we discussed the history of work and the benefits it can provide the family. Work has existed since the time of Adam and Eve and its form has evolved since, but the necessity for it has not. Even though society has developed the warped idea that work is a bad thing, we know from scripture that work is important and even a commandment from God. We are to work by "the sweat of our brow" and "for our sake." After the Industrial Age, working conditions changed and the family was re-shaped. Home life became less important when compared to a career. A few interesting points made in class were that there is much more providing that needs to be done than only financial. According to Brother Williams, "Work used to be about life and now life is about work." This demonstrates the idea that people used to work to meet their needs and now one of their main needs is work, it encompasses their lives. Brother Williams also said that many people give up what they think they're working for. This is so true, I've seen some parents work so hard, thinking they're doing it for their kids. But by the time they realize all their kids really wanted was some parental love and attention, they're grown and years of irreplaceable opportunities have passed. It's important to discover a healthy balance of work and to devote just the right amount of attention to it. We realize that work is a good thing, but too much of it is not. As the saying goes, "Work hard, play hard." We should take advantage of all God has given us and not focus too much energy on only one aspect of life while neglecting the others.