We Can Learn From Those Annoying Ants

There is nothing that beats spending time in the great outdoors and having a rustic cabin to go to — with cozy beds, a bathroom, running water, a kitchen to cook in and a screened in back porch to sit and watch the beautiful running waters of the river. Some would disagree with my words “nothing that beats having a rustic cabin to go to” because their definition of vacation is a 5-Star hotel. But, since we were a family that spent many spring and summer vacations in tents or a Winnebago, our little home away from home seemed perfect EXCEPT for one thing…..THE ANTS!!! They weren’t just coming one-by-one. They were coming in platoons!! Their hiding place was somewhere around, behind or under the stove because no sooner did we wipe out the ones we saw, right behind them was another troop. I knew what they were doing — they were in search of food to store for their families, so when they found a little dropping of food, they came in droves.

As annoying as they were and we sure don’t want them in our kitchens, we can learn from those determined and tenacious little insects. Proverbs 30:25 says, “Ants are of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer.”

1. Ants are driven by purpose — obviously the ants we saw in our cabin had a sole job description of finding food for the colony. That purpose is what they gave their time and energy into. All for one! One for all!

2. Ants work as a team — they came in teams — working together to achieve something great. Teamwork makes the dream work!

3. Ants have a time to rest and a time to work — ants have to work with the natural seasons. So in summer they gather their food and in winter they hibernate. They think Winter all Summer.

4. Ants think big — ants seem like one of the smallest and most insignificant insect on the planet, but the colonies they build and the contribution to their society, is MAJOR!

6. Ants carry workloads they can handle — although they’re small, ants can handle up to one hundred times their weight. We will never know our limits unless we push ourselves to them.

7. Ants serve one another — living for just ourselves is a lonely existence. Serving people goes that one step further and asks ‘what can I do for you?’ The little things matter. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something!

8. Ants never quit. Alexia and I were mesmerized as we watched a colony of ants carrying pieces of leaves down trees, across walking paths to their homes. Their strength and will amazed us. They didn’t let any obstacle stand in their way. They didn’t stand there with their hands on their hips and look at each other in disbelief. They didn’t shrug their shoulders and give up on their goal. We watched them confront their obstacles and walk around it, over it, through it or under it until they achieved their desired goal.

What an amazing God we have — He was so intentional with His creation — I love how He uses props to teach us valuable lessons. Quite possibly, He created ants..,..yes, for food for some of His creatures, but for you and I as well — to pay attention to their ways of living! Maybe it’s time for us to “take a lesson from the ants” as King Solomon said in Proverbs 6:6 “Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise!”