Scripture
6Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.
Learn from their ways and become wise!
7Though they have no prince
or governor or ruler to make them work,
8they labor hard all summer,
gathering food for the winter.
9But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep?
When will you wake up?
10A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
11then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;
scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.
12What are worthless and wicked people like?
They are constant liars,
13signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye,
a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers.
14Their perverted hearts plot evil,
and they constantly stir up trouble.
15But they will be destroyed suddenly,
broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing.
Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Proverbs 6:6
It really is amazing to watch an ant hard at work. To see them carry things that are more than twice their size is absolutely astounding. Ants may be small, but what they lack in size they make up for in diligence. Solomon observed the incredible work ethic of the ant and encouraged readers to follow the ant's example.
When writing Proverbs 6, Solomon told readers to observe the ant. No one tells the ant what to do or forces them to work hard, yet ants work diligently all throughout the summer to have enough food for the winter. He then asked readers, "How long will you sleep?" He warns them that when laziness sets in, causing them to neglect their work, poverty is not far behind them. Solomon's warning is a call for readers to embrace hard work, much like the ant works extremely hard, carrying things at least twice their body size.
Like readers during the time of Solomon, people today can be tempted toward laziness. They will do the bare minimum required of them, and focus on the next opportunity to watch more television, play their favorite video game, or spend hours of uninterrupted time on social media. Because of this, as followers of Christ, we must fight against this tendency toward laziness.
What about you? Do you follow the ant's example and work hard at everything you do, or do you find yourself to be lazy, only doing the bare minimum that is required of you? Solomon's warning is a challenge for us to abandon laziness and chase after hard work and diligence. As followers of Christ, we should model excellence in everything we do, and that means working diligently, much like the ant storing food for the winter. Will you choose today to work hard, honoring God in everything you do?
Moving Toward Action
Is there an area of your life where you are avoiding hard work and leaning toward laziness? In your journal or notebook, write it down and commit to work hard in that area this week. Ask a friend to hold you accountable as you seek to leave behind laziness and work hard.
Going Deeper
Read Proverbs 6:6-15 (NLT)
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