“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise.” Proverbs 6:6
I watched in wonder. As the ants scurried in a line to carry minute morsels back to their mound, one little ant dragged a piece of straw three times its length. At first the others skirted around it, coming and going. On it trudged with its prize, not wavering in its quest. What tenacity! Finally, when it got to the entrance of the mound, it stopped, unsure how to get a stiff, horizontal piece of straw to bend and fit perpendicularly down the hole.
I held my breath. Soon, three more ants came to its aid. Then a few others. The small stick soon became covered with ants, each lending strength to the task. At last, there were enough of them to tug, lift, and drag the straw into their nest.
I cheered. People stared. Shrugging, I continued my morning walk. But I saw a God-lesson in it. If we don’t give up, and we keep trying our hardest, eventually we will be able to proclaim with Paul: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).
However, there are times we will have to accept help — just like that ant. If you are faced with a task that becomes harder than you thought, will you accept assistance, or stubbornly hiss between your teeth, determined to do it yourself?
Dearest Lord, when You give us a task to do and it proves to be harder than we anticipated, let us accept the aid You bring us. Let us learn from the ants that hard work, tenacity, and teamwork do pay off in the end. May we work together as Your people for Your purposes. Amen.
Take Action
Be ready to help others, and be gracious to those who want to help you. Then you can both rejoice in a job well done.