Read
Go to the ant, O sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise.
—Proverbs 6:6
Reflect
Long before Aesop’s fables—and long before cartoons—King Solomon pointed to one of God’s smallest creatures and said, “Pay attention.” He advised lazy people to learn from the ant. (And it’s OK if you’re not lazy—you can still learn from the ant.)
Solomon observed that ants work hard during the summer, gathering what they will need for the winter months, and he held them up as an example to follow.
The lesson survived because it was true. Many years later, Aesop retold it as a fable and expanded on the idea. And many years after that, Walt Disney turned it into a cartoon. Basically, Mr. Grasshopper thinks life is a party. (In Solomon’s proverb, he’s the lazy one—the “sluggard.”) The grasshopper spends his time eating, drinking, and playing his fiddle while singing, “The world owes me a livin’.”
Of course, we know how this turns out. Winter comes, the grasshopper starves, and the ants end up bailing him out because they were wise and had prepared enough food—not only for themselves, but even for the poor fool. One point worth noting: instead of saying, “Awesome, bring me more grub,” the grasshopper is genuinely sorry for what he’s done. He earns his keep by entertaining the ants, and his new song becomes, “I owe the world a livin’.”
That matters. Wisdom isn’t just about consequences—it’s also about repentance and restoration.
Solomon, Aesop, and Walt Disney all make good points. Ants (at least cartoon ants) don’t work 365 days a year—but they do get their work done before they rest. Too many people reverse that order. They play before they work, and they end up with problems. They can’t keep jobs, so they don’t have the money they need. Or they live in homes that are dirty or run-down. Or they’re always running behind on getting things done—like turning in assignments for work or school. You may think too much work is a bad thing, but one thing is certain: laziness never produces what we hope it will.
Today, learn a lesson from the ant and commit yourself to getting the important things done first. Finish the assignment. Clean the room. Make the phone call you’ve been avoiding. Pray that the Lord will help you stay with your big tasks and see them through to the finish line. And when you’re done, do something silly or fun—or silly and fun—to celebrate.
Reflection copyright © 2025 Doug DeBolt
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
