This lesson teaches children that Job chose to live honestly and kindly, even when no one was watching. It is designed for ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including the story, a verse, a discussion, and a short activity.
Big Idea
God sees everything we do, and He wants us to be honest, kind, and fair to everyone, even when no one else sees us.
Memory Verse
Job 31:4
Doesn’t he see my ways, and count all my steps?
(WEB)
Put your hands over your eyes like a little telescope, then slowly lower them as you say the word “sees.” Look up toward the ceiling as if God is up there watching. Ask the children to copy you and say it together three times.
The Story: Job 31 for Kids
Job was a good man who loved God very much. He had a big family, many animals, and a lot of land. Then many bad things happened to him, and he was very sad. His friends came to visit, but they did not understand why he was hurting so much.
Job did not do anything wrong to make God angry. In this chapter, he told his friends about the ways he tried to live honestly. He said he had made a promise to his eyes that he would not look at things that were wrong. He was careful not to lie, and he did not cheat anyone out of what was theirs.
Job also said he cared for people who were poor and needy. He shared his food and clothes with them. He did not look down on his workers, his servants, or the widows and orphans in his town. He treated them fairly because he knew God had made them too.
Then Job said something important. He said that if he had ever done any of these bad things, he would be willing to face the consequences. But he knew he had tried his best to be faithful. He wished someone would listen to him and let God be the judge. He trusted God to see the truth.
Read It Together
Job 31:1
“I made a covenant with my eyes, how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?
(WEB)
Point out that Job made a choice ahead of time about where he would look and what he would think about. Ask children what they think it means to make a promise to our eyes. Help them see that good choices start before a temptation shows up.
Job 31:16-17
16 “If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, 17 or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it
(WEB)
Show the children that Job cared about people who had no one to help them. Explain that the poor and the widows were often forgotten in Job’s time. Point out how Job remembered them, and talk about how we can remember people who need help today.
Job 31:33-34
33 If like Adam I have covered my transgressions, by hiding my iniquity in my heart, 34 because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and didn’t go out of the door—
(WEB)
Explain that Job was honest about his heart, and that hiding things from God never works. Talk gently about how we can tell God the truth when we have done wrong, and how He wants us to come to Him openly.
Talk About It
- What is one way you can keep your eyes focused on good things this week?
- How did Job show kindness to people who were poor or had no one to help them?
- Why do you think it is important to be honest even when no one is watching?
- What does it feel like to know God sees everything we do?
- Who is someone in our church or neighborhood we could help this week?
Activity Ideas
Eye Watch Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw two big eyes on their paper, then draw something good they want to look at inside the eyes, like a flower, a friend, or a Bible. Let them color it bright and talk about what helps them keep their eyes on good things. Hang the drawings where everyone can see them.
Helping Hands Relay
You will need a few small cups, a bowl of dry beans or pieces of paper, and a clear space in the room. Divide the children into two teams and have them carry the beans from one bowl to another using only a spoon, one trip at a time. Afterward, talk about how Job helped people in need and how small acts of help add up. Cheer for everyone who helped.
Honest Heart Take-Home Card
You will need index cards, a marker, and a pencil. Write “God sees me and loves me” on one side of each card and let children decorate the other side. Encourage them to bring the card home and read it to a parent or sibling. Ask them to think about one honest thing they can do that day and tell someone what they chose.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Job 31 is a chapter in which Job defends his integrity before God and his friends. He lists specific areas of his life, such as his eyes, his business dealings, his treatment of servants and the poor, and his worship, and he invites God to examine him. The chapter shows that a faithful life includes private faithfulness as well as public faithfulness, and that God is the one who sees the truth of our hearts.
With children, avoid suggesting that Job’s suffering happened because he sinned or that obeying God guarantees that bad things will never happen. The story of Job is about trusting God when life is hard, not about earning rewards. Keep the focus on God’s faithfulness and on loving others.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for seeing everything we do and for loving us anyway. Help us keep our eyes on good things and our hearts honest. Show us how to care for people who need help, just as Job did. We trust You to guide us each day. Amen.
