Go to the Ant.
By James Dodwell – Hammers of Hope
Good Morning,
A good friend asked me if I could meet him at the cabinet
shop to cut a couple of boards for him. The angle needed on the ends would need
to be cut with a miter saw to get the specific fit he was wanting on a hand
rail he was reconstructing. While I waited on him to arrive I notice a colony
of ants had invaded our work area. Rather than stomp them like a child, I sat
and watched them. I know, I know, but at that moment it was what I did, okay?
Anyway, I noticed that each ant greeted any other ant traveling in the opposite
direction, just for a millisecond but not one passed another without
acknowledgment. As I continued on my education in the ant world, I noticed if
there was an obstacle in the defined path, the ants went over, around or under
it, without any hesitation.
As my eyes followed the line of ants I saw a small area
where a tunnel was carved out under some debris and a small circle similar to a
cloverleaf on an interstate highway had been constructed. At this point is
where some of the ants seemed to receive instructions, because there was a
slight bottleneck, a conjugation of ants slowing a little, getting their
directions from somewhere unknown to me, then either moving ahead or taking one
of the other two routes to who knows where. It appeared, each ant was on a
mission, they had been given a direction, a purpose, a goal and they were
focused with a bias toward action, working together as a team, getting where
they need to be and letting nothing stand in the way. The strange thing is that
each of them took the time to greet and acknowledge the others no matter how
busy they were at the time. This was really amazing stuff, for me anyway.
In Proverbs 6:6 it is written, “Go to the ant, you sluggard;
and consider its ways and be wise.” Go to the ant… He tells us to be
self-motivated for our own good and the good of others. Ants don’t need an
overseer to instruct them on what needs to be done. They instinctively wake up
early and get started putting away stores of food for other times. They are
clearing the way for others to follow and become fruitful. They are setting the
example for others to follow; each one accomplishing something that will
benefit the entire team not just them. As we mature as leaders, we teach our
followers similar traits. Take responsibility, do the work, work and play well
with others, work as a team, acknowledge others, help each other, and so on and
so forth.
Ants seem to display an abundance mindset. They share
everything. There is enough to go around and they want each ant in the colony
to have a piece of the pie, so to speak. Sometimes, we as humans display a
scarcity mindset, meaning there is only enough for me. We don’t want to share
information, success, ideas, our time, or other things that could benefit
others lives. We typically do this because we are competitive in nature,
everything is a competition and there can be only one winner. The ants teach us
having a mindset focused on abundance/team, everyone wins, and having a mindset
focused on scarcity/self, nobody wins.
Ants teach us the value of hard work. They earn their wages.
Their work sustains them; it doesn’t define who they are. They work hard at
harvest time storing up food and they are rewarded with their efforts when
times are lean. Welfare is not an option in the ant world. If you are able, you
work just like all the others. The only exception is their young, injured and
weak are cared for by a selected group to service their needs. We should look
to the ant and understand working hard will bless our lives both physically and
spiritually. The thing that gave me pause is they are as one. They follow rules
handed down generation after generation. They don’t have to be told what to do.
It is in their DNA to know the way, show the way and go the way and they never
deviate from the abundance mindset. I don’t know if insects have unconditional
love for one another but it is obvious to me they support each other; trust
each other to do their part all while making a difference and adding value to
the colony.
Another observation is that no one ant is better than the
other. Some have different duties; others different responsibilities; others
different gifts and talent, and yes, even the queen works and has a
responsibility to the entire colony. It’s a way of life. Their work, “their
walk” reflects their principles and values and is passed along generation after
generation. I encourage all of us to “Go to the ant…” for inspiration to
develop an abundance mindset for sharing our love, hope, faith and joy while we
make a difference and add value in the lives of those surrounding us. Proverbs
30:25
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