During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide, Student Page, Family Connection Card, and other resources can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
If you do not have a ball, make one out of available materials such as rolled up socks or wadded up newspaper.
The end of a matter is better than its beginning. So it’s better to be patient than proud.
Ecclesiastes 7:8
It can be difficult to wait for something to happen. When you are the only person who can make something happen, it can be very difficult to be patient. This Bible verse is a good reminder that it is better to be patient and work through something than it is to allow pride to push you forward.
Have you ever felt impatient with yourself? What was the result? When you struggle with something or feel that you have to do something quickly, it can be frustrating. God created you with gifts and abilities. If you are not gifted in a particular area, it is okay to take your time. It is also okay if you struggle or cannot do something. you were not created to know everything, and you are not expected to be able to do everything. God did create you to accomplish amazing and wonderful things, so be patient with the things that do not come as easily. Be patient with yourself.
Encourage families to talk about activities that require time and patience to complete. They can talk together about how they keep working at something that takes time to finish.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Greet the children as they come to class. Ask them to smile if they were patient with someone else last week.
I am glad to see that some of you practiced having patience with others last week. If you did not, do not worry. Remember, patience is a skill that you develop over time. I challenge you to continue working to have patience with others this week.
Today, we will continue to learn about patience. I will challenge you to do an activity to begin. Please stand up and stick out your elbows. Spread out so that your elbows are not touching the elbows of anyone else.
Make sure that all the children are not touching each other so they do not bump into anyone during the activity.
In a moment, you will place 3 pebbles on the ground in front of you. You must try to pick up each pebble using only your thumbs. You must then hold the pebbles you have picked up in your hands. If you touch your hands to the ground or drop a pebble, you must sit down.
Ask each child to come to the front and take 3 pebbles. Give them a moment to put their pebbles on the ground. Once all of the children are ready, tell them to begin trying to pick up the pebbles with their thumbs. Give the children 2 minutes to try to complete the activity.
Nice job! It was difficult to do this activity. Were any of you frustrated with yourself because you touched the ground or you could not pick up the pebbles? It may be difficult to be patient with yourself when you are doing something new or challenging. It is important to learn to be patient with yourself.
Have you ever done something that required practice? Maybe you have learned things like cooking, mathematics, writing letters and numbers, and playing music with an instrument. To get better at any of these things, you must practice.
Invite 2–3 children to name things they have learned to do that took practice. Ask each one how long it took to learn the skill she practiced.
It takes time and practice to do some things well. While you are learning new things, it is important to be patient with yourself. Listen to what the Bible says about patience.
Read this verse directly from your Bible.
The end of a matter is better than its beginning. So it’s better to be patient than proud.
Ecclesiastes 7:8
Remember, patience is waiting, or going through something without complaining or becoming angry. Whether you are completing something or learning something, waiting takes time and patience. When you are patient with yourself, you do not get angry with yourself. You realize that you need more time, practice, or some more information. Listen to what the Bible says:
Anyone who is patient has great understanding. But anyone who gets angry quickly shows how foolish they are.
Proverbs 14:29
Here are some clues that you are not being patient with yourself. You may become angry and frustrated. Frustration is an emotion you may feel when you cannot do something easily or quickly. Frustration may cause you to cry or to yell. Your arms might become stiff and start to shake.
Here are some things you can do to be more patient with yourself.
1. Ask God for help. You can pray and ask God to help you have patience with yourself. It is not easy to learn new things or to do difficult tasks. It takes practice. When you are not patient with someone or something, you are impatient. Here is a verse that you can use to encourage yourself when you are feeling impatient:
I can do all this by the power of Christ. He gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13
2. Relax. When you feel impatient with yourself, take a few deep slow breaths and count to 10. Try to relax your body and your mind. When you are impatient or frustrated, you cannot think clearly and it actually slows you down. Start your task again, but focus on going slow. By acting in a slow and calm manner, it will help you feel more patient too. Take a deep breath and think, “I will be patient with myself.”
Instruct the children to stand up and move their arms up and down as fast as they can. Continue for 10–15 seconds. Instruct them to do the same thing but slower for another 10–15 seconds. Do it a third time and slow it down even more.
3. Ask for help. You do not know how to do everything, and that is okay! You also do not have to do everything alone. Asking for help is wise. Some people want to do things on their own because of pride. However, doing some things alone can make them more difficult. When someone helps you, it can help you more easily learn something. Having help can help you do a difficult or impossible task that you could not do alone. Do not be proud—it is good to ask for help!
Allow 2–3 children to respond to each of the following questions.
Answers may include: cooking food, doing schoolwork, tying shoes, and learning to do other complicated tasks.
4. Do not compare yourself to others. God made you unique. You may look, think, or act differently than others. For this reason, you do not need to compare yourself with other people. Listen to what the Bible says about God creating people.
You created the deepest parts of my being. You put me together inside my mother’s body. How you made me is amazing and wonderful. I praise you for that. What you have done is wonderful. I know that very well.
Psalm 139:13–14
God made you special with special talents and skills. The Bible says that if we compare ourselves to others we are without understanding. Raise your hand if you have a friend who learned something at school faster than you did.
Allow 2–3 children to respond.
Comparing yourself to someone else can be frustrating. You do not need to do things the same way or at the same speed as other people. Trust God will help you!
Be patient with yourself. As you grow up, there are many things that require learning and practice. These things require patience. When you are trying to learn something new, watch someone else, ask questions, and try to do it with help. Wait patiently and do not give up!
Optional: If you are using Student Pages, give the children their pages and some crayons. Allow 3 minutes for them to draw pictures of themselves being patient.
Are you ready to do something fun to practice what you have learned today? In a moment, you will be asked to throw this ball (show them the ball) at this (name of the object they will throw the ball to).
Ask the children to form a line about 3 meters from the object. The purpose of this is to make it difficult for the children to throw the ball to the object. Allow 1 child at a time to throw the ball at the object. Encourage the children to cheer for each other as they throw the ball. After a child has thrown the ball, ask the child to go to the end of the line. Once all of the children have thrown the ball, stop and have the children sit down where they are.
Wow! You all tried really hard to hit the object! Some of you hit the object with the ball and others did not. That is okay. Today, we talked about things you can do to help you to be patient with yourself. Let’s see if these things help some of you to hit the target.
You learned that it is okay to ask for help, right? What if I showed you a way to throw the ball that will help you aim at the target? Start with your throwing arm at your side. Move your arm back so that it is just a little bit behind you. Face the ball toward the target. Swing your arm forward until your hand looks like it is just under the target. Then, let go!
Demonstrate this for the children. It is okay if you do not hit the target with the ball.
Another thing we talked about today was slowing down and relaxing. This time, when you throw the ball, I will give you 2 tries. I hope that this will help you to slow down and relax. Are you ready to try to throw the ball again?
Ask the children to stand in a line. Allow each child to throw the ball 2 times before giving the ball to the next child in line. Once each child has had a turn, stop and ask the children to sit down.
Wonderful! Some of you still did not hit the target. That is okay! You do not have to do everything on the first or second try! You may need more practice or you may need more help before you can hit the target. Remember to be patient with yourself! You will need to be patient many times as you live the life God has planned for you.
May you continue to grow, change, and get better at what you are learning. Do not give up. As our memory verse reminds us, it is better to be patient than proud.
Show the Memory Verse poster, if you are using it.
The end of a matter is better than its beginning. So it’s better to be patient than proud.
Ecclesiastes 7:8
Read the verse with the children 3 times. As you say the verse together, allow the children to use the same rhythm and “instruments” as they did for the previous class.
End class by saying this blessing, based on Ecclesiastes 7:8 and Proverbs 14:29, over the children.
Blessing: May you have patience and gain understanding for the things you must wait for. May you ask God to help you wait from the beginning of something to the end.
Lead the children in singing this quarter’s song if possible.
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
