Proverbs 14:4 is a funny verse about a barn. If you don’t have an ox, your barn stays clean. But you also don’t get a harvest! Some good things in life are messy.

No Ox, No Harvest

Proverbs 14:4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests.

An ox is big, smelly, and makes a mess. But it does the work that brings in food. If you want good results, you have to be willing to get your hands dirty.

Work Beats Talk

Proverbs 14:23 All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Talking about big plans is easy. Doing the work is harder. Whether it’s school, sports, or chores, the people who actually work hard are the ones who see results.

Work for God

Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.

Even boring jobs matter when you do them for God. Dads, our sons learn to work hard by watching us, and by working right beside us.

The Takeaway

Good things often come with a mess. Don’t avoid hard work just because it’s dirty or difficult. The harvest is worth it.

Discuss and Dive Deeper

Talk about it:

  1. Fathers and sons, read Proverbs 14 together, taking turns by section.
  2. Read Proverbs 14:4. What is this verse talking about?
  3. Talk about a time you faced a huge task that didn’t seem worth tackling. Did you follow through on the task? How did you feel about it afterward?
  4. Sons, what’s a messy job you don’t like doing? What good thing comes from it?
  5. Dads, what’s a project you and your son could tackle together this month?
  6. What’s your favorite verse from this chapter? Explain.
  7. Close your time together in prayer.

See also:

Proverbs for Men and Boys (Men’s Series)

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