Be Industrious Like the Ant

"Go to the ant, you lazy one; see its ways and become wise,"   admonishes Solomon.  What wisdom can we gain from the ways of a little ant? The king answers: "Although it has not commander, officer or ruler, it prepares its food even in the summer, it has gathered  its food supplies even in the harvest." -Proverbs 6:6-9-8. 

Ants are marvelously organized and remarkably cooperative with one another. Instinctively, they gather food supplies for the future.  They have "no commander, officer or ruler." True, the queen ant is there, but she is queen only in the sense that she lays her eggs and is the mother of the colony. She gives no commands Even with  no foreman  to drive them or supervisor to check on them, the ants keep tirelessly at their work. 

Like the ant,should we not also be industrious?  Working  hard and striving to improve in our work is good for us whether we are being monitored or not. Yes, in school, at our place of employment, and while sharing in spiritual activities, we should do our best. As the ant benefits from its industriousness, so God wants us to 'see good for all our hard work.' (Ecclesiastes 3:13, 22; 5:18) A clean conscience and personal satisfaction are the rewards of hard work. -Ecclesiastes 5:12.

Using two rhetorical questions, Solomon tries to awaken a slothful one from his indolence:  "How long, you lazy one, will you keep  lying down? When will you rise up from your sleep?"  Mimicking him in speech,, the king adds:  "a little more sleep, a little more slumbering, a little more folding of the hands in lying down, and your poverty will certainly come just like some rover, and your want like an armed man." (Proverbs 6:9-11)  While the lazy one is supine, poverty overtakes him with the speed of a bandit, and scarcity attacks him like an armed man.  The fields of sluggard quickly  become full of weeds and nettles.  (Proverbs 24:30, 31) His business enterprise suffers losses in not time. For how long would an employer tolerate and idler? And  can a student  who is too lazy to study expect to do well in school?

Next time: Be Honest

From the Watchtower magazine, 2000