Go to the ant, you sluggard!

“Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest. How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep, so shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man” (Proverbs 6:6-11).

Have you ever taken the time to sit down and watch a line of ants, hard at work? Sure, you have swatted them off your leg or arm from time to time, but have you ever considered what an amazing creature the ant really is? Consider how ants are always hard at work, trying to gather food for themselves and the queen. Proverbs 6 describes ants as very hard workers that provide their supplies in the summer and gather their food in the harvest, even though they have no overseer to tell them what to do. Even though ants do have a queen, they still do not have someone sitting over their shoulders, telling them what to do. They simply do what they were made to do -- and that is work.

Proverbs 6 is a call to the sluggard to wake up out of sleep, to consider the ant’s ways, and learn to imitate them so that he can be a strong worker for the Lord. The Christian also needs to consider the ant and its ways so that he can be the best worker that he can be in God’s kingdom. There will come a day when we will no longer be able to work. The point is, don’t get caught taking a nap! Be the worker you need to be so that should Jesus return, He will find you a faithful servant laboring diligently in His service.

Jonathan Glaesemann