LESSONS FROM ONE OF THE SMALLEST CREATIONS (Part 2)
MEMORY VERSE: - “Go to the ant thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise (Prov.6:6).
INTRODUCTION: -One of the things or attitudes that the Bible in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, in strong term sluggardness or slothfulness or laziness. In fact, the book of Proverbs severally and explicitly condemned the act and counseled against it strongly (Prov.6:6,9; 19:15; 10:26; 12:24; 13:14; 15:19; 22:13; 24:30; 26; 23:13-14).
The Lord Jesus Christ also condemned the act in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30).
Apostle Paul berated the lazy brethren among the Thessalonians Brethren (2Thess.3:6-12). He also encouraged the Romans to be diligent in their business even as they serve the Lord with fervency in the Spirit (Rom.12:11).
LESSON OUTLINES
Lessons from the Ants
1) Like the ant be industrious: - The ants are the most industrious insects, engaging in almost every field of professionalism. In Civil engineering, building houses in storeys up to twenty or forty above the grounds. Some Mason carpenters etc. In Mining engineering, mining treasures. In Agricultural engineering; you see them in processing and storage foods building silos, storing food for future. In communication technology, you see them passing information perfectly one to another. In Military, you see their defense very strong, their soldiers fighting fiercely and ready to die in defense of their homes and community. In medicine, you see them nursing the weak and wounded.
2) Good Parenting: - The ants nurse and take care of their young ones. They not only take good care, they also teach the young ones virtues of hard work, diligence, determination, love and care for others. This is one major thing lacking among us these days. Good parenting is a God given responsibility and it goes beyond providing the needs of the Children. Just as the mother ant is present to teach the children, as parent we must be available to teach our children morals, virtues that will help their development into total and responsible men and women in the future.
3) Be Diligent: - The ants never get discouraged by any difficulty they meet with. They are example of what Shakespeare said “I have no small difficulty, but I have set my heart at it, and where there is a will; there is a way”. In the quest to get something done, whenever they meet an obstacle on the way, assiduously look for a way of getting focus on the job at hand. What a determined creature! No matter the bigness of the task, the ants work assiduously, determinedly and untiring round the clock to see the task accomplished (Prov.22:29).
Believers must learn this act and teach them also to their children. The virtues of determination, diligence, dutifulness and hard work are virtues we must all imbibe and also encode them into our children right from early years.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
The ants are only mentioned twice in the Bible; yet there are a lot to learn from these wonderful creatures of God as Christians. We cannot afford to be lazy and expect God to bless us. The days of God raining down manna in the wilderness were long time over and even then, the Israelites still had to go out and gather the manna before they could eat.
QUESTIONS
As parents, what can we learn from the ants?
Mention some of the fields of profession the ants can be found?