"Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves."

Psalm 127:1-2

There is of course a balance to strike between working hard and overworking, between trusting God and passivity. The psalmist reminds us that even if we work hard, we are to remember that if our work prospers, it is a gift from the Lord: if it does not prosper, we still have the Lord as our inheritance. In the same way, we can work hard to invest in the lives of the children around us, but we need to remember that if there is spiritual fruit, it is the gift of God. If we cannot perceive any spiritual fruit, the children are still his gift to us. Without this perspective, the result of our work becomes a source of pride for us or will be the main factor deciding our well-being. Without this perspective, we will be fearful about the future of our children. When we see work and children as gifts from the Lord and we trust that he is at work and will ultimately bring about his purposes, we can rest and enjoy his gifts.

Closing Prayer

Lord God, remind me always that you have provided the work I see before me and are the one who accomplishes its purposes. Keep me from wrongful pride in my accomplishments and from fear when I am not seeing the results I want (edited from Encounter with God).