‘Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.’ (The Bible–Proverbs 6:6-7)

We come to Day 3 in our focus on Proverbs from the Bible during the month of August. If you’re on vacation, I hope you’re finding some time to read during your relaxation. Considering you’re reading THIS—I commend your wise use of time. The wisdom of the Proverbs is clearly rubbing off on you.

One of the common features of the Proverbs is comparison. Many of the proverbs reveal their truth through comparison of something we understand to something we need to learn. We tend to learn something new when we see a comparison to what we already know. This has been a standard of effective teaching from the earliest civilizations.

In this proverb, the writer draws our attention to the ANT. More specifically to the work pattern of the ant. By observing the ant’s work pattern, we learn important principles that can be readily applied to our own work. He begins by addressing the lazy person—the sluggard. He recommends that when we’re on the verge of laziness—we should consider the ant. We should consider its ways and be wise. That is, if we will behave like the ant in one specific way—then we’ll be living wisely. He’s not suggesting we behave like the ant in EVERY WAY. Eating spilled food on picnic tables; lurking in the dark recesses of kitchen cabinets; biting the legs of unsuspecting hikers. No, the author is suggesting that we focus on one pattern in the life of the ant. The pattern of the ant’s work. And in that pattern is wisdom. So what is the work wisdom demonstrated in the work pattern of the lowly ant?

• We’re responsible for our own work—it has no commander, no overseer or ruler. We observe that the ant is self-motivated and self-directed. The ant doesn’t have a drill instructor barking out orders. The ant doesn’t have a boss breathing down its neck. The ant doesn’t have the threat of being fired if it doesn’t work. The ant works because the ant knows he’s responsible for his own work. The ant doesn’t need anyone telling him to work, forcing him to work, guilting him into work, or threatening him if he doesn’t work. The ant works because the ant knows that working is right. Even if there is no Master Sergeant Ant telling him so.

• The work we do should have a purpose—yet it stores its provisions in summer. Somehow the ant knows that there’s a benefit to the works he’s doing. The work isn’t pointless. The work isn’t futile. The work has a purpose. The purpose of the ant’s work is to store food for a time when there will be no food to store. The purpose is to work now to have provision for later. It’s the ‘saving for a rainy day’ concept. The ant understands that the time will come when there will be no opportunity to work. So he works now. Nearly all honest work has a purpose. We just need to identify the purpose. Work without purpose becomes drudgery. Work with purpose becomes fulfilling.

• The harvest from our work comes later—and gathers its food at harvest. The ant works because it knows it’s responsible to do so. The ant knows its work has a purpose. And the ant knows there’s an eventual harvest from its work. The ant works because he  knows that his work will result in a future payoff. He knows he must pay now so he can play later. He knows he must do what he’d rather not do now so he can have what he really wants later. But the ant also understands that he can only gather the food AT HARVEST. He knows that the harvest comes later—not sooner. He recognizes that he must invest now if we wants a return later. It’s ironic that this tiny insect has a better grip on this reality than many people do. So the next time you see an ant, remember the lessons it teaches us:

1. We’re responsible for our own work–so take responsibility for your own work.
2. Our work should have a purpose–so find out the purpose of your work.
3. The harvest from our work comes later–so don’t give up.

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