Sluggards! You’re back! Clearly, you’ve embraced the idea
that you
are, indeed, a sluggard and you’re back to obtain morsels of wisdom from
the ant. If you so desire, (and haven’t already) consider checking out reasons
I think King Solomon chose the ant as a source of
wisdom and my interpretation of what life might be
like as an ant.
In this post, l delve into the wisdom King Solomon directly pens
in Proverbs.
The wisdom of King Solomon regarding the ant states:
Three morsels of provision I’m storing from this portion of
scripture follow, presented first is the human application followed by an “Ant
Mode” challenge.
1. No one tells the ant what to do, yet it still
acts.
Human Application
Imagine how your life would
be different if every time you saw something that needed doing you just did it.
Imagine how your household would change if your family got on board. What about
your place of employment? Your neighborhood?
Ant Mode Challenge
Choose one thing that you’ve
been meaning to do and make a plan RIGHT NOW to do it. If it’s something
that will take a few minutes: Get up. Now. Get it done. Then come back and
continue. If it’s something that takes longer, choose a date or time to do it
and write it on your calendar. Set an alarm on your phone. Break down the
steps you need to take to get it done. If you can get step one done today, do
it today. No more excuses. We got this! Just turn on ant mode.
2. An ant gathers its fruit at the harvest.
Human Application
Enjoy life. When opportunity
knocks – act. An ant does not harvest fruit that’s underripe nor wait until it is
rotten. It acts when the fruit is ready, when the fruit is at the ideal stage
for consumption.
Ant Mode Challenge
Identify the area in your life that is at the
ideal stage for consumption. What can you do TODAY to enjoy it more?
Is there anything in your life that is ready for
consumption that you’ve missed because of your sluggardity? Consider each area:
your responsibilities, relationships, future planning, life fulfillment, and
trust. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 19:15 (links to BibleHub) that when we are lazy, we fall
asleep. We miss opportunities around us because we don’t see them. Ask God to
open your eyes as you reconsider your list. What fruit is ready for harvesting
around you that you’ve missed because of your habits. What can you do TODAY to
harvest that fruit?
3. An ant stores its provisions in the summer.
Human
Application
The Hebrew word used for summer here means “
to awake” (links to Bible
Hub. Scroll to the bottom under the “Lexicon” heading.) So, when you’ve
awoken and identified your provisions – the fruits you’re now harvesting -
store away what you have.
Ant Mode Challenge
After identifying your
area(s) of provision, find a way to store away these provisions for a time of
lack. Maybe it’s tangible, like finances. If so, that’s easy; you know what to
do there. But for the spiritual, relational, mental, intangible aspects, you
might need to be a little cleverer. How can you take your “intangible”
provisions and make them tangible? My advice would be to apply your talents
here. Journal about the celebrations. Keep a memory book. Make videos. Artwork.
Build memorials. Consider all the times God instructs the Israelites to make a
memorial or ritual so that whenever they pass it or partake in it, they can recount
the story of God’s goodness to them. (Bridge to the Bible,
details 10
examples of Biblical memorials here.
) That’s what you’re looking for here. What tangible object or
ritual represents my intangible provisions that I can store for the future? An
object that I might pick up or routine I might undergo to remember the
provisions I once had during a time when I experience lack in the same area.
To aid you in your thought process, consider printing out
our “As Penned by Solomon” companion guide. It lists the morsels and ant mode
challenges with space to think through, document, and celebrate your
commitment.
There are other morsels of wisdom I’ve gathered by reading between the lines. Consider them part of my heavy lifting
as an ant. I’m sure you’ve gathered different ones, and again, I’d love to hear
them if you’d love to share them with me (mrs@wolfestew.com
or comment below).
Until next time, Sluggards, I’m really encouraging you to
get your “Ant Mode On.” Take on one of these three challenges. Or, go all in
and do all three. I’m joining you in this journey. And remember, we’re not
alone: we’re marching two-by-two.
If you're ready to march onward to the next stop in the ant series, "Communication as a Responsibility" awaits you.
With Love and
Prayers,
Sidenote: When I told my nephew I was working on a series of
blog posts about ants, he asked, “What is it called, ‘About Ants by an Aunt?’
Hmmm. Might have to change my title. Anyway, onwards!
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Thank you for adding your flavor to the stew.