Lessons from the Ants

"Go to the ant, O sluggard, observe her ways and be wise, which, having no chief, officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer and gathers her provisions in the harvest." Proverbs 6:6-8

For some reason these verses stuck with me. I have often been amazed at ants and think that we can take a lesson or two from these little bitty guys. It is said that ants are very social insects. By this it means that they live in large colonies that can consist of millions of ants. There are three types of ants - the queen, the sterile female workers and males. The ant goes through four stages of development: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Ants communicate very well and do so by touching each other with their antennae as well as leaving a sent of trails, called pheromones, for other ants to follow. They are also known to be able to solve complex problem.

How can we learn from these insects?

What we can take from them is a sense of community.

• I Cor. 12:12 says, "For even as the body is one and yet has man members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ." The importance of being in a church body where we can socialize, grow spiritually and serve our one true God.

As there are different types of ants so there are different types of gifts each one of us has be given by the Lord to serve Him within the church body.

• I Cor. 12:17-27 says, "If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor or that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that ht members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it."

Also like the ants, we go through different growth stages. Craving milk as a young believer to craving meat as a maturing believer.

• I Peter 2:2 says, "like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the world, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation."

• Hebrews 5:12-14 says, "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who become of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil."

We can learn to communicate better as a body of believers. We don't realize that just as it's vital for a colony's survival to communicate that it's vital to our church body to do the same. And by properly communicating I can see how it would be easier to solve the more complex problems we seem to face. I think what the ants have that we tend to lack is listening. If they stop listening to each other and their queen ant all would break down, chaos would reign and defenses and survival would go down.

• James 1:19, "This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger."

And lastly, we need to leave a scent of Jesus where ever we go. That way others will be know which path to follow to get to their loving Father. We do this by showing others that we are God's children by reflecting Him. We may not have a "scent" like ants do but we shine like a light for Jesus which shows people the way to Him.

• I John 2:3-10, "by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him; the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as he walked. Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shinning. The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him."

• I John 5:10, "The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself."

• Matthew 5:16, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

Krista Jones 7.15.09


Bible Reading Guide:

Beginning to End: Numbers 28-30
Old and New Testaments Together: Numbers 5-6 & Mark 4:1-20
Historical: Numbers 28-30
Chronological: Numbers 1-2
Blended: Exodus 16-18 & 1 Thess. 4

The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible