Proverbs 6:6 "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: 7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
Okay, what's a sluggard? That's someone who's lazy! They spend more time trying to avoid work than actually doing work. They're self-indulgent. Their life is for pleasure and their pleasure is at the expense of others! Think about who you know. I bet it's easy to think of sluggards by name.
We're to consider the ant. Ants are the opposite of sluggards. I'm not sure of entomology, but my bet is that the word "sluggard" is derived from another animal; the slug! "Slugs"are also known informally as "sluggards". Coincidence? Sluggards are slow-moving slimy mollusks who live in the shade and devour plants at night. They eat what others grow. I would take offense at being compared to a slug if I was a sluggard!
"Consider her (ants) ways and be wise" Proverbs tell us. What are the ways of the ant?
1) They live in communities. They strive as a team and depend on one another.
2) They're industrious. Their homes beneath the surface are layers of catacombs. Space is maximized and their home is a fortress against the elements and predators.
3) Ants are not self-indulgent. Those long caravans of ants are because scout ants leave behind a chemical trail for the others to follow to the food source. When the source is depleted the trail dies out and the scouts mark another trail.
4) Ants are eusocial, the highest level of social organization. As such they are cooperative in taking care of each other, their labors are divided based on physical characteristics, and they have social castes. Those castes are pretty much as our own, most being workers, some being managers, and then the nucleus of the community, the leader, or Queen ant.
5) Ants are strongly defensive, not only against predators, but the elements. (If you've ever tried to wipe out a colony of ants, you know of the battle ahead!)
Well, we've considered the ants! How is that consideration to make us "wise"? How will it make us discern what's right? Doing what's right is an approach to doing things as God would have them done. Humans, who coincidentally share many physiological similarities with ants, including lungs; can follow the example of ants. We are communal. We are called to help each other! It has been shown that recluses are anti-social and hence, are lacking love and care for others. God directs us to love and care:
Philippians 2:4 ESV "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."
Ephesians 4:32 ESV "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."
John 13:34-35 ESV "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” "
Scripture tells us to be industrious, to be workers.
Colossians 3:23 ESV "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,"
2 Thessalonians 3:10 ESV "For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat."
Proverbs 14:23 ESV "In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty."
Proverbs 10:4 ESV "A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich."
These verses certainly demonstrate great differences in the work ethic of ants compared to sluugards! Note that the focus on our industry is for "the Lord"! Why do ants work so hard? For "her Lordship", the queen. Yes, we are to provide for all our immediate needs as do the ants, but like the ant who loses the queen, without God our work is for naught! Our work ethic is to be God-centered! That's the "Great Commission"!
Matthew 28:19 ESV "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..."
That's our primary God-centered work! We are to make disciples! Disciples are followers of Jesus. We are to tell others about Jesus, his love, and his sacrifice! Are you a sluggard in this work? Yes, we all are! When I think of where I've failed God the most, it's right here! I haven't even made disciples of all my own children, let alone strangers! Laziness (sluggardness) holds us back. We need to be worker ants for the Lord!
"Spiritual leadership" is the man's job!" you say? Most worker ants are females. The women are the hard workers! They have the path, the sagacity to accomplish just as the male does. Yes, girl, you too are to spread the "Good News"!
Sluggards are self-indulgent! They look out for old numero uno! However, ants supply for not only for their own needs, but others, especially the queen, are of primary importance. Just as we are to give Caesar what is his, the common ant is to give the queen what is hers! She spawns the colony. She's their mother! Ants provide for their own. The Queen is godto the ants, just as we have our God! Ants are an example of how we ae to love and care for God!
Ants are warriers! When challenged, they fight! Like the ants, we too are to fight. Spiritual warfare is going on. You may not be aware of it, but we need to fight for our own sufficiency. Our enemies are the invisible powers and the devil.
Ephesians 6:12 (KJV) "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Our leaders are controlled by darkness. Likewise, our entertainers, educators, scientists and psychiatrists. Principalities have infested all walks of life. Even our religious leaders have caved and submitted to spiritual darkness. You must study and understand scripture yourself because you may be "drinking the Kool-aid" of rulers of darkness! How many of you do what you know you shouldn't do? Many! That's the tip of the iceberg. You are deceived into believing that God can be disobeyed, but his love is boundless. God's love is without bound, but rebels will be punished!
Proverbs 30:24 "There be four things (ants, conies, locusts and lizards) which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: 25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;"
This is your summer! The strong will prepare their meat!
Matthew 24:44 (KJV) "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he shall find so doing."
"Be ye also ready". That's "your summer". The Lord is coming when least expected. If you have wisdom, as does the ant, you'll prepare. Prepare your "meat" for the household. "Meat" is the straight path represented by the body of Jesus. We are to prepare our households for the coming of the Lord! Like the ant who knows winter is coming and stores up victuals for that season, mankind knows that winter is coming, not that we'll be part of the cold, but that we prepare for what the world sees as frigidity and darkness. Prepare for the Lord. This is the summer and time to do that work!
No comments:
Post a Comment