In a healthy and productive family every member of the family helps and works in some kind of way. Now some people do have limitations like being too young or maybe too old for a particular task. Some people do deal with ailments and other limiting circumstances, but in general everybody still helps and works in some kind of way. Some people work outside the home and some people work inside the home. Some do this chore and others do that chore, but no matter what job, task, or chore a person may do, they do what they can do to help provide what their family needs.
As a child my parents worked alot, inside and outside the home. Both of my parents had their own jobs and careers, sometimes multiple jobs and careers. But no matter how hard they worked outside of the home they knew when they came home there was going to be more work to do. At appropriate ages my sister and I were given more and more tasks to do, and as far as chores went, by a certain age there were not many tasks that we were not asked to help do. We all lived there. We all ate the same food. We all had a place to sleep. We all worked.
When I think about this idea of a family working I am reminded of what scripture says about the work of the Church. We as Christians are His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10). We have a responsibility as Christians to be a working people, but what are we to be doing? In general the basic work of the church falls into three groups: evangelism, benevolence, and edification. In Matthew 28:19-20 we see a verse that really can involve all three. As Christians we are to go, which is a continual process every day. We are always going, we are always working, and we are always on the mission. As we go we are to make disciples, baptize, and teach. This is a very hands-on process. This is not something that is accomplished by accident, it is not something that stops at baptism, but it is something that we all are to be doing. We are trying to help people be faithful disciples of Christ. Evangelism, benevolence, and edification work hand in hand together to reach people, teach people, and help build them up.
Consider this idea when you look at passages such as Titus 2:1-8. Here we see age related tasks that are given to both men and women for the purpose of teaching, edification, and discipleship. In James 1:27 we see love and benevolence in our care for widows and orphans. The Bible mentions the qualifications of specific workers like elders and deacons in 1 Timothy 3:1-13. These men have a variety of tasks to do and complete as workers for the Lord. There are people that may serve as elders, teachers, or preachers, but ultimately we all are to be faithful working disciples of Christ. Every member of the Lord’s church has a role to play and each member is needed and is important to the overall work of the Church (Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31). As His people and His body we are to be workers. The faith that we claim to have needs to be seen by our works (James 2:17-20). If we are not working and serving God then our faith is dead. Let us all strive every day to be working workers as we faitfully serve the Almighty God.
Derek Broome