Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise:
the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer; the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank; the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces. (Prov. 30:24-28, ESV)

We mentioned last week that “soul focus,” having our internal binoculars adjusted, is something we all need. This series aims to help you take hold of four big lessons from four small creatures. This week we will look at the ant.

Ants are amazing little creatures. Yet, depending on where we live and how “outdoorsy” we are, we may have varying degrees of openness toward them, as well as other insects. My mom, for instance, now lives in FL and has learned to hate fire ants. When I was young, I had a fascination with army ants from the Amazon that would eat anything in their path—cows, people, villages, you name it. For my kids, the animated children’s classic A Bug’s Life did its best to make most insects more benign. Although, I find it interesting that despite being raised with Jiminy Cricket and watching A Bugs Life more times that she can count, my wife is still horrified by crickets—especially sprickets. Thankfully, she is more amenable to ants!

Creature Double Feature and Disney versions aside, the ants spoken of in this ancient Near eastern passage are probably harvester ants, found in regions of relative food shortage and dependent on a diet of seeds. We have all observed ants carrying off gigantic scraps of food six times their size (this is their  limitation—they “are a people not strong”). They can do quite a lot of damage to a picnic and yet they are so small that a thousand can be crushed by stomp one foot!

The major insight these little guys teach us is disciplined foresight—that is, planning and working to get ready for tomorrow. And so, here is our big lesson that we learn from the ants:

Be a goal-oriented person that is prepared for the future.

Some people don’t like to make goals or resolutions because if they break them the sense of defeat can be crippling. I understand, however, it’s also true that if you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it most of the time. The balance here is to think of making goals, not promises.  In other words, the plan serves us.  We don’t serve the plan.

How?

Every few months, especially when I’m traveling by plane, I pull out a journal and write down what I’m thinking about related to the season I’m in. How are things going? What are the challenges? What are my priorities? What do my kids need? What does my spouse need? What do we as a family need? What are my goals for the next season? For example:

• I need to eat a certain way and take better care of my health. How am I going to do that?
• I need to lose x amount of weight and here is my plan to do that.
• My son or daughter needs to grow in x and here are some things I need to discuss with my spouse to help with that.
• I want to read this/these book(s).
• I want to invest in this relationship. I want to stop investing in this relationship.
• What have I not said to a loved one that I need to say? Or what do I need to say?
• I need or want to save money for x and here is my plan to do that.
• I need to finish a course or project, prepare for school, or get better at this skill or hobby. How will I do that?
• I have a dream to do this… Remember, C.S. Lewis would remind all of us that: “You’re never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
• How involved are we in church? What involvement should we have in this season?
• How is our level of debt or giving? How can we reduce our debt or increase our giving? What will we do? What can we get rid of or give away?
• What are the three most important things I have written down so far?
• Is my plan simple enough to succeed?

The ants would say to us, “September and the coming months are right in front of you.  How are you going to spend your fall?  Storing or snoring?”

Success is when preparation meets opportunity.

 Included with the ant’s foresight is a discipline to get something done.  It wasn’t just a goal that remained on paper or a nice idea in their head.  They had the foresight to store and the discipline to make it happen.

Now we all need play and rest.  These are part of a healthy life but the ants remind us that it’s discipline over desire that determines a person’s destiny. As someone has well said, “Some people dream of worthy accomplishments while others stay awake and do them.”

Yes, God’s grace must show up for anything of eternal value to happen, but the ants teach us to live with intention. May it be so with you today!

Next week we’ll look at an animal we’re less familiar with, the rock badger.