Go to the Ant

"Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise" (Prov. 6:6, ESV).

Every so often I am reminded that hard work, physical or mental, is not part of the curse placed on Adam and his descendants. We are called to be diligent in mind and body. We are to labor with intensity and passion. We see here that there exists, within the natural order, patterns for us to observe and learn from. Solomon calls his reader to consider the diligence of the ant. The ant is about the task of preparing and approaches the task with determination.

The term "sluggard" carries with it a degree of shame. It describes someone who is lazy. The book of Proverbs has a lot of things to say against the sluggard. Even in the descriptions of the sluggard are harsh. The sluggard is supposed to be scorned by Solomon's readers, and his ways rejected. As Solomon describes it, laziness is rewarded with poverty and hardship, but hard work is rewarded with wealth and success.

The sluggard is one who will not lift a finger to help himself. He thinks it is everyone else's job to provide for him, and that work is for suckers. As believers in Christ this kind of attitude is to be rejected by us. We want to display the glorious character of Christ. We cannot do that by being lazy. Jesus was continually doing what the Father called him to do.

I am not suggesting that we never take a break. Sabbath, after all, was made for man, Jesus said. We are creatures who need rest, but if our default mode is procrastination; if we are always ready to put off until tomorrow what we should do today, then we may be lazy. Solomon says, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might . . ." (Eccl. 9:10, ESV). Paul also states, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31, ESV). We should seek to serve the Lord with diligence in all we do.

So the next time you find an ant searching your kitchen for provisions, and before you kill it for its trespass, ask yourself, "Am I that diligent?" Have you looked to the ant to learn from it? Have you heard all that he has to teach you? Then roll up your sleeves and get back to work.