#Proverbs 6:6 King James Version (KJV) Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Ants are great teachers [Proverbs 30:24-28 (AMP) There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise: 25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they lay up their food in the summer; 26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks; 27 The locusts have no king, yet they go forth all of them by bands; 28 The lizard you can seize with your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.]. There are things you can learn from ants that will help you succeed professionally more than your academic or technical education. Ants are diligent and prudent: diligent by working hard without coercion, and prudent by saving part of all production. These two basic necessities for success are generally neglected in modern societies, where pleasure is worshipped and deficit spending is encouraged. What is a sluggard? A person who is slow, lazy, and does not like to work hard. He is a pain to those trusting him [Proverbs 10:26 (AMP) As vinegar to the teeth and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who employ and send him.]. Diligent men will be successful [Proverbs 10:4 (AMP) He becomes poor who works with a slack and idle hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. Proverbs 12:24 (AMP) The hand of the diligent will rule, but the slothful will be put to forced labor. Proverbs 14:23 (AMP) In all labor there is profit, but idle talk leads only to poverty. Proverbs 22:29 (AMP) Do you see a man diligent and skillful in his business? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men. Proverbs 28:19 (AMP) He who cultivates his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless people and pursuits will have poverty enough.], but lazy men are losers [Proverbs 6:10-11 (AMP) Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down and sleep—11 So will your poverty come like a robber or one who travels [with slowly but surely approaching steps] and your want like an armed man [making you helpless]. Proverbs 12:24 (AMP) The hand of the diligent will rule, but the slothful will be put to forced labor. Proverbs 19:15 (AMP) Slothfulness casts one into a deep sleep, and the idle person shall suffer hunger. Proverbs 20:4 (AMP) The sluggard does not plow when winter sets in; therefore he begs in harvest and has nothing. Proverbs 20:13 (AMP) Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes and you will be satisfied with bread. Proverbs 24:30-34 (AMP) I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; 31 And, behold, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles were covering its face, and its stone wall was broken down. 32 Then I beheld and considered it well; I looked and received instruction. 33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep—34 So shall your poverty come as a robber, and your want as an armed man.]. Sluggards are too arrogant to be taught [Proverbs 26:16 (AMP) The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes and conceit than seven men who can render a reason and answer discreetly.], so Solomon mocked them with ants. If they were to watch ants for a few minutes, these haughty bums could learn success, for ants are much wiser than sluggards. A Harvard MBA is not as useful as what is taught in your yard everyday. But sluggards are too proud to learn from the small teacher. Sluggards stay in bed, for they love sleep [Proverbs 6:9-11 (AMP) How long will you sleep, O sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep? 10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down and sleep—11 So will your poverty come like a robber or one who travels [with slowly but surely approaching steps] and your want like an armed man [making you helpless]. Proverbs 20:13 (AMP) Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes and you will be satisfied with bread. Proverbs 24:30-34 (AMP) I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; 31 And, behold, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles were covering its face, and its stone wall was broken down. 32 Then I beheld and considered it well; I looked and received instruction. 33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep—34 So shall your poverty come as a robber, and your want as an armed man.]. They have energy to turn over in bed, but not to get food to their mouths [Proverbs 26:14-15 (AMP) As the door turns on its hinges, so does the lazy man [move not from his place] upon his bed. 15 The slothful and self-indulgent buries his hand in his bosom; it distresses and wearies him to bring it again to his mouth.]. They want things like others, but they do not want to work for them [Proverbs 13:4 (AMP) The appetite of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the appetite of the diligent is abundantly supplied. Ecclesiastes 10:15 (AMP) The labor of fools wearies every one of them, because [he is so ignorant of the ordinary matters that] he does not even know how to get to town.]. Staying in bed is too nice! Consider ants. If you get down in the grass and watch these little creatures, you quickly see wisdom and very useful habits. Ants do not sleep beyond daybreak, and they do not take siestas, so do not worry about waking them in the morning or in the afternoon. They are always moving, quickly and energetically. They work efficiently. They work tirelessly. They do not stand around, sit around, or drag through their work. They work fast. They do not pace themselves to spread work out: they go right at a project and work hard until it is finished [Ecclesiastes 9:10 (AMP) Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol (the place of the dead), where you are going.]. They hustle! They will not quit until the job is done. They do not need supervision [Proverbs 6:7 (AMP) Which, having no chief, overseer, or ruler,], for they get to work and find something to do. They do not have to be ordered or threatened. They do not have to be reminded frequently of what is expected. What a difference from the sluggard, who must always be prodded to get anything done. Ants have a conscience from God to work hard. When times are good, they work extra hard to store up for bad times [Proverbs 6:8 (AMP) Provides her food in the summer and gathers her supplies in the harvest.]; they do not take it easy because there is the appearance of plenty. They store surplus rather than eat it all. They deny themselves short-term pleasure for long-term prosperity. In their wisdom, they even bite off the ends of grain kernels to keep them from germinating in storage. They do not have union rules or selfish habits keeping them from helping others. If one is moving something too large for it alone, others will help him get it where it needs to be. They are committed to help the whole colony succeed. They are not selfish loners. They do not choose the easiest way or get discouraged if the job cannot be quickly finished. When facing difficulties, they energetically try again and again until they are successful. They will go great distances from home in order to find their food. They will get into houses, cars, and just about anything in order to find what they need. Dear reader, consider the ways of these little people. Hard work will do much more than talking [Proverbs 14:23 (AMP) In all labor there is profit, but idle talk leads only to poverty.] and dreaming [Proverbs 28:19 (AMP) He who cultivates his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless people and pursuits will have poverty enough.]. Do not love sleep [Proverbs 6:9-11, Proverbs 20:13 (AMP) / see above.]. Get busy!—
Posted on: Wed, 02 Oct 2013 05:25:04 +0000
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