DILIGENT HANDS AT WORK (5)

“Go to the ANT you sluggard! Consider her WAYS and be WISE” – Proverbs 6:6

A visit to the University of the Ants will inspire and nurture in us DILIGENT HANDS at WORK: “Go to the ANT you sluggard! Consider her WAYS and be WISE” (Pro.6:6). This is an illuminating illustration of biblical diligence, using the ant: “she provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in harvest” (v. 8). The ant toils in the heat of summer to get her provision for the winter. She works tirelessly night and day while the season lasts; diligent in laying up its stores at the proper opportunity.

Great Wisdom for Diligence is found with these little creatures. These tiny, terrific, teachers work hard without having to be supervised. They have no king, captain, commander, or coordinator watching over all that they do – cajoling or compelling them to work. In an ant colony, the queen is the source of life, but she does not provide direction or command. Here are five of the numerous lessons from the ant:

Disciplined Proactivity: The ant knows that there is a time when gathering won’t be possible, so he works hard when he can. He also knows to store things up – to prepare for the times when there will be no food. Ants live in colonies of millions of individual ants who know their roles and carry out their responsibilities diligently and faithfully. There is no teacher, pastor, or counsellor telling them what to do. Each ant knows that it must be disciplined and diligent if and the colony are going to survive the harsh conditions of the world.

Self-driven work ethic: This is an ability to work hard, even when on one is watching. When we know what to do, we should do it! We don’t need someone looking over our shoulders to make sure that we work hard and right. We are motivated from within to do that. Most people have great expectations for what they will be paid, but almost no positive guiding work ethic. This should never be said of Believers in Christ. Our work ethic should be driven by a desire to honour God: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men” (Col. 3:23).

No to Procrastination: “Live diligently; don’t procrastinate when there’s work to be done.” Procrastination is the parent of poverty. Nothing in life is predictable or controllable. Let’s consider how much time we are wasting when we could be working. Sleep and rest are vital to well-being: “The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much” (Ecc.5:12a). However, there should be a limit to “how long” one sleeps; and a time to awake and work. Poverty is imminent where there are no parameters put on sleep or slumber. Poverty will come to the procrastinator like an unwelcomed knock on the door from an out-of-town family member or without invitation, like an armed man (vv.9-11).

Prioritising: Diligence is not simply about working harder. It’s about doing the right work at the right time! It’s not always clear what we should be doing with our time, but when we put God first, through prayerful planning, we can know the right assignment per time. We must develop the practical skill of budgeting time carefully in order to be diligent in our business (Pro.22:29). Prayerfulness in light of our biblical and life priorities will lead to godly diligence. Aimlessness will lead to either slack-handedness or hollow busy-ness.

Frugality: Wisdom in setting aside resources for times when things are lean. History warns that these times will come. The wise who work to store up for such times are ready, while those who spend all that they get are left unprepared and stranded. We are not to be like the foolish farmer who selfishly accumulated riches and was not rich toward God (Lk.12:15-22). Rather, we’re are to be like Joseph whom God guided to set aside resources for lean times, and kept an entire region of the world from starvation and devastation (Gen.41:53-57).

Diligence is doing the right work right when it needs to be done – not halfway or with half-hearted effort!