This year we’ve been reading and discussing the book Created for Work as an extra devotional in our home — and I only wish we had found it sooner!
Although this resource is recommended for boys in middle school and up, we’ve found that it applies to our whole family — from our 5th grader to our 10th grader, and even to us as adults! In fact, despite the subtitle, I would recommend this book for families with both boys and girls and with children of any age.
With short, interesting, and engaging chapters, author Bob Schultz uses real-life stories from his own childhood and from his experience as a contractor to emphasize biblical principles that counter modern culture’s tendency to embrace ease and entertainment (which often results in dishonesty, unproductivity, and a general lack of work ethic). Each chapter is about 4 pages in length and is a complete story/devotional by itself with quotes, anecdotes, analogies, scripture references, and discussion prompts. (Click on the images below to enlarge the text.)
The chapters are titled as follows:
Created for Work may be used as an independent study or as a family read-aloud with discussion questions provided at the close of each chapter. The examples provided in this book encourage the development of godly character and a healthy attitude towards work, focusing on a variety of character traits such as creativity, respect for authority, integrity, and diligence. We highly recommend this resource for families with children of all ages!