Consider The Ant

HoHum:

Ants are a nuisance. Ever had ants get in the kitchen or dining area? See just a few of them and the next time we see a steady stream, whole horde of ants. Have to do something so go to the hardware store and get ant poison. Put drops of that stuff here and there and the ants take that back to their nest and poison the whole colony of ants. Thankful for that chemist who found this. Even so, some ants are considered beneficial. In the American tropics, army ants are welcomed as highly efficient insect exterminators. The inconvenience caused by having the army ants in a house is outweighed by the fact that, when the ants leave, the house will be free of insects. Tomorrow is Labor Day and many have the day off. Remember the mascot for tomorrow, an ant. In the book of Proverbs ants are used to teach a positive lesson. “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!” Proverbs 6:6, NIV.

Thesis: What positive lessons can we learn from ants?

For instances:

Ants provide an indictment for lazy people

There are more than 5000 known species of ants, including the 600 species and subspecies that live in the United States. Their habits vary significantly. Most ants nest in the ground, but others have an ability to use a wide variety of nest sites. Ants differ in size, color, and food preference. In spite of their variety, ants have one thing in common. They are workers! Ants are diligent creatures. Whether it is scouting out food at a picnic, carting a morsel back to the anthill, burrowing in the ground, feeding the larvae, protecting the queen, or fighting battles against adversaries, the ant is constantly active.

In Proverbs 6, the ambitious ant provides an indictment of the sluggard who refuses to do his share of work. God is not pleased with the person who is lazy. Genesis introduces us to a God who works. For 6 days God labored, creating the universe. Genesis 2:2 relates that, on the 7th day, God finished his work and rested. God was not tired and needing a break, but there was a temporary change of pace in his activity. God is at work today sustaining his creation, restraining evil, and bringing people to the cross. “Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.”” John 5:17, NIV. God created human beings to share in his work. Remember working with Grandpa and even remember working with my dad, going to the hog pens and helping to birth the piglets. There is something about working together that enhances relationships. God created man for fellowship with him. “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Genesis 2:15, NIV. God planted the garden, and man was to cultivate it. They shared in the work. The Bible makes it clear that God considers laziness a sin. “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.” Proverbs 10:4, 5, NIV. The one talent man who buried his talent and refused to work was called a “wicked, lazy servant,” by Jesus (Matthew 25:26). Even Paul said, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”” 2 Thessalonians 3:10, NIV. The book of Provers suggests 4 characteristics of a lazy person.

1. They can’t get started in the morning. “How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-- and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.” Proverbs 6:9-11. It is a battle to get out of the bed for them. “As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.” Proverbs 26:14. Have a sore back if lay in bed too long. This person rolls over to turn off the snooze alarm again and again. “Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare.” Proverbs 20:13. Staying awake is struggle for me

2. They seldom finish anything. “The lazy man does not roast his game, but the diligent man prizes his possessions.” Proverbs 12:27, NIV. The sluggard enjoys the hunt- that’s the fun part. He does not want to clean and roast the game- that the work part. One of the characteristics of a lazy person is the failure to complete projects. “If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks.” Ecclesiastes 10:18, NIV. Need to replace the rafters and repair those leaks- I’ll get to it tomorrow. Tomorrow never comes.