Proverbs 6:6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!
Ant: is busy, and never idle. Wise and diligent in whatever he undertakes.
A sluggard: is someone who is cowardly, slow to start important tasks, and lazy or idle out of habit.
There are great lessons from ants in the bible. Ants are incredible creatures with a wealth of knowledge that we may learn from. The most important thing in life is wisdom, so get it.
What can we learn from ants? She instructs us through actions and not by speech.
10 Lessons from ants in the Bible: Consider her ways.
Ants have little strength, yet they are hardworking. They lift weights about 50 times their weight. Despite having limited strength, they continue to labor.
Your participation is still vital despite the activity of others. Though thee are many ants in every colony, they are all involved in the summer work.
Ants are diligent. They do not procrastinate. They get their work done when it should be done.
Ants understand times and seasons. Consider the cleverness with which ants choose and take advantage of the ideal season for preparation of inactivity. Ants work in the summer and rest in the winter.
Wisdom is using the right season for the right activity, doing the right thing at the right time.
A man is said to be wise if he makes the most of his little time on earth to prepare for the coming winter of eternity.
Proverbs 22:3 The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.
5. Ants are not lazy despite God’s providence.
God provides for all his creatures. Even though God is in charge and genuinely cares about us, his providence shouldn’t serve as an excuse for laziness.
God uses the abilities that he has given His creatures to sustain them. He doesn’t step in to do what we are capable of. God doesn’t do for us what we can do for ourselves.
6. Ants exhibit love and unity among themselves. Ants take good care of one another and cooperate to complete a task. This instructs us in the virtues of goodness, unity, and love.
Biologically, each ant possesses two stomachs despite their small size. This is not because they are greedy. One of the stomachs is for the ant to store food for herself. The other stomach is to share food with others. Isn’t that amazing? It’s worth learning from ants.
7. Ants communicate effectively.
For many years, researchers have understood that ants communicate via pheromones. They communicate with one another via this chemical.
Effective communication is essential. When communication is successful, everyone involved feels content and accomplished. Delivering messages clearly eliminates the possibility of misinterpretation or message modification, reducing the likelihood of conflict.
8. Ants are well organized. The colony structure of ants is extremely organized and effective, with the queen at the top and the workers below. Each of the ants performs a specific task within the colony, such as foraging, maintaining nests, reproducing, and taking care of the young.
9. Ants always stay positive. Despite any challenge they may face, ants never give up. This teaches us the value of tenacity. The power of perseverance is unbeatable.
A sluggard wastes his time making pointless wishes. The slightest opposition demoralizes him. He puts himself in imaginary danger.
10. Ants are self-motivated. They have no overseer, yet they get their jobs done. No external motivation, yet they work hard. We have to learn from ants to be inwardly motivated.
The definition of self-motivation is best shown by ants. They don’t wait to be pushed. They continue to accomplish their goals without offering any justification.
To do the necessary tasks, one must be self-motivated because one may not always find outside motivation. Self-motivation is what drives you to continue, whether you’re tempted to give up or are just unsure of where to begin.
Conclusion: Be wise. Wisdom is the ability to apply relevant knowledge insightfully, especially to different situations from those in which the knowledge was gained. Let’s put what we learned today into action.
Self-examination:
For us to learn from ants, we have to first ask ourselves some probing questions about our conduct.
Am I a Sluggard?
· Am I a self-indulgent person?
· Do I procrastinate?
· Do I spend time on fruitless wishes?
· Am I discouraged by the least opposition?
· Am I fond of creating imaginary dangers for myself?
· Do I hate labor?
· Do I doubt my capabilities?
· Am I fond of spending time on useless activities?
· Do I enjoy sleeping so much?
· Are my incomplete projects numerous? (Always tired of finishing a task)
· Do I always have an excuse for not doing something very important?
We must be honest with ourselves when answering the above questions because sincerity to oneself is a prerequisite for personal development.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for your wisdom and knowledge that you have given me today. Forgive me Lord for all of the ways I have been a sluggard, lazy and even a procrastinator at times. Help me to follow the ways of the ant. Help me to be dedicated, dependable, self-motivated, trustworthy, team player, organized, loving in everything I put my hands to do. May I not only hear this word that you have provided today but be a doer of this word. In Jesus name, Amen.
Scripture Reference
Acts 20:30 (NIV) In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Ecclesiastes 9:10 (NIV) Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.