Don’t Be Lazy – Peanut Butter of Happiness, Jelly of Sorrow PBJ | Object Lesson
This is an object lesson that can help you teach your class about how we should never be lazy! God reward the diligent but the slothful are going to be in trouble!
NEEDED:
You absolutely need the PB&J Illusion magic set (which provides the two Peanut Butter containers—one solid, one a shell—and the two black covers) and one matching jelly jar (which you must supply). Have a little room on your table so you can clearly isolate the jars.
THE SETUP: THE TWO CHOICES
Place the two covered jars on opposite sides of your table. This lesson is about arrogance—specifically, the arrogance of laziness. Lazy people think they are owed things just because they exist, and they expect the same results as those who work hard. That’s pretty arrogant, isn’t it?
- One side shows the reward of the Diligent: The good things in life, the PEANUT BUTTER of Happiness! (Lift the cover to show the solid PB jar). Have the kids clap and say “YEAH!” every time they see the PB.
- The other side shows the fate of the Sluggard: The JELLY of Sorrow! (Lift the other cover to show the Jelly jar). Have the kids dramatically say, “OH NO!” every time they see the Jelly.
THE LIE: FOOLING THE SYSTEM
Hardworking people get the good stuff: promotions, raises, and the PB of Happiness. But the lazy person thinks they can cheat the system and fool everyone, even God, into giving them the same rewards. They think they can sneak around, play games, or avoid responsibility, and no one will ever know. They think THEY will get the Peanut Butter of Happiness, but they are stuck with the Jelly of Sorrow. SHOW THE JELLY.
Remember: Laziness isn’t just doing nothing; it’s spending your energy doing the wrong things! It’s playing basketball or video games instead of doing your homework. You can be sweating and busy, but if you’re avoiding responsibility—like your chores, reading your Bible, or prayer—that’s just laziness in disguise!
THE REVEAL: THE LAW OF HARVEST
Now, you have to hit them with the Bible truth. The lazy person thinks they can trick the results, but they can’t. You need to show them what a sluggard’s life really looks like.
- “EVERYWHERE A SLUGGARD LOOKS HE FINDS SORROW”: Cover both jars. Now, perform the nesting move where you slide the hollow Peanut Butter shell over the Jelly jar. When you lift the covers, both jars now look like the Jelly jar! The PB has vanished! Say, “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing (Proverbs 13:4). Everywhere they look, they find sorrow because laziness turns the good things into trouble.”
- “EVERYWHERE THE DILIGENT LOOKS HE FINDS HAPPINESS”: Quickly perform the un-nesting switch, but this time, you leave both jars appearing as the Peanut Butter jar! Say, “But the diligent have their soul richly supplied! (Proverbs 13:4) Diligent hands will rule (Proverbs 12:24)! Everywhere they look, they find happiness because they were faithful and wise!”
THE TAKEAWAY: BE THE ANT
The sluggard buries his hand in the dish, too lazy to even bring it back to his mouth (Proverbs 26:15). You need to be like the ant. Ants don’t have a teacher or a boss telling them what to do, but they do it ANYWAY! We have responsibilities—chores, prayer, Bible reading, church—and we need to do these things whether we are told to or not. If you see a crayon on the floor, pick it up. If you have chores, do them without waiting for a reminder. Don’t be the person who manages 20 hours a week watching movies but can only find 15 minutes to pray! That’s the irony: the same laziness you need to correct will try to keep you from dealing with it. Don’t let it win. Be wise, be diligent, and you will always find the Peanut Butter of Happiness.
*Tags: Ant, bum, diligent, hard worker, lazy, slothful, sluggard, work hard