The phrase “It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth” (Lam. 3:27) sat emblazoned atop the syllabus for a class entitled Advanced Old Testament Theology. For the next four months I often studied into early morning hours for impossibly hard tests, occupied my Friday evenings with research (Friday!), and became chemically dependent on coffee. My professor knew it would be that way. And he liked it.
     Looking back, though, my professor was right. It was good to bear that yoke; it was even better to do it as a young man.
     In just a few weeks, high school students will be loosened from the bonds of academia, and they need something to fill the time. It is good for them to bear a yoke in their youth. Understandably, though, many Christian parents are reticent to put their children into the workforce: they fear the world’s effects, they struggle transporting teens to a regular job, they worry that a stringent work schedule could hinder summer ministry or camp attendance, etc.
     Yet, Scripture has a lot to say about work and work ethic. God works. In fact, God describes His creation as “work” (Gen. 2:2). Consider that the first command God issued to unfallen Adam was to tend (work) the garden (Gen. 2:15). The Ten Commandments confirm God’s desire for work: Exodus 20:9 reads, “Six days shalt thou labor.” The command to work is just as forceful as the command to rest, which is enabled by and enjoyed because of six arduous work days.
     As the Old Testament transitions to the New, God’s emphasis on work remains. Paul listed his bi-vocational labor as a ministerial touchstone. He labored day and night so as not to burden those to whom he ministered (1 Thess. 2:9). In fact, Paul confronted several members of the Thessalonian church whose laziness was detrimental. In 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 Paul says that some church members were not working at all, but busybodies. The solution? Let them go hungry (v. 10).
     Since it is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth, how should parents balance the need to work with other concerns? Allow me two suggestions.
     First, parents should make it a priority to find their teen the right kind of work. Daughters can earn their babysitting licenses and help Christian mothers. Sons can work for believing business owners who will push them to strengthen their tolerance for labor intensive jobs. Although Christian parents should be cautious to throw their children into the secular work-force, Christian options are worth exploring.
     Second, ministry is work. Vacation Bible School typically necessitates two weeks of planning and execution. Church maintenance and landscaping needs typically expand during the summer months. The Senior Saints could use volunteer lawn service and help with grocery shopping.
     The creative and willing teen could easily fill his week with ministerial work, thus embodying Scripture’s call for arduous labor and the parent’s concern for protection.
     Pastor Baker is the Youth Pastor at Tri-City Ministries and teaches Bible at TCCS. He holds a B.A. in Christian Missions, an M.A. in Bible and a Ph.D. in Theology from Bob Jones University. He has six years of experience in local church youth ministry. He and his wife Danielle are currently awaiting the arrival of their first son, Paton.