Go To The Ant Thou Sluggard

Proverbs 6:6 - 8 (GWT) Consider the ant, you lazy bum. Watch its ways, and become wise. Although it has no overseer, officer, or ruler, in summertime it stores its food supply. At harvest time it gathers its food.

In contrast to laziness, God uses the ant to illustrate qualities you and I ought to cultivate. We all know that in an ant colony, the queen ant is the center of attention and the mother of most ants. BUT ... did you also know that the queen ant is not the chief ruler? She doesn't give instructions nor organize the activities within and without the nest. In other words, she's not the boss! And there is no king either. So who's the leader of the colony?

Work is initiated by servant-leaders which comprised of the older ants. They begin each new activity within the colony by doing the work themselves. Younger ants imitate the servant-leaders and join in the task at hand. For a fact there are no supervisors, chiefs, or officers among the ants. Wow! That's something to think about. No politics, no tyranny, no jealousy, no strife. Just a whole bunch of happy ants working together in unity for a common purpose. There's much we can learn from the ant. Bottom line, what kept the ant colony organize and and what helped them survive is simply unity! Let's "go to the ant" and see what it is that God intends for us to learn from them.

There is a certain hierarchy within the ant kingdom, or rather different category of ants. The worker ants that search for food leave a trail of tiny drops that contain a certain scent common to the whole colony. Other worker ants follow this trail to locate food and return to the nest. That's why they travel in single file. It is important that a scout never mislead it's fellow workers by crossing over it's own trails. To do so would confuse the followers and cause them to travel in circles until they die from exhaustion! May I exhort you. If you were to take the lead, don't exhaust your followers! I know some bosses can be very mean and unfair. They care about themselves more than they do their staff. They use and abuse people in order to achieve their personal agendas. Whenever you are given the occasion to lead, be like our good Shepherd who is willing to lay His life down for His own.

Another thought. Do you know that there are no poor ants in the colony? Ants readily share their food with one another without concern for themselves. This generosity is possible because of a social stomach, or crop, that stores food before it is digested! (like the cow). When 2 ants meet, the food from the crop is brought up and shared. Those who have an abundance of food voluntarily give to those with less, until all have shared equally. Is it a wonder therefore that the ants does not fear bad times? With good leadership they are always working towards a common purpose. And with generosity they are always not lacking.

And yes ... I am still at the "Financial Thingy" part 4!. Are you worry about times ahead of you? Are you concern about the impending recession that taunts you today? "Consider the ants you lazy bum. Watch its ways, and become wise. Although it has no overseer, officer, or ruler, in summertime it stores its food supply. At harvest time it gathers its food".

In other words. don't be a lazy bum! To be continued next week.