“Go to the ant, O sluggard,
Observe her ways and be wise,
Which, having no chief,
Officer or ruler,
Prepares her food in the summer
And gathers her provision in the harvest.
How long will you lie down, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep? (Proverbs 6:6-9 NASB).
I hate reading… Or at least that’s what I’ve been telling myself for the past 11 years. In college, I decided to cram in an English minor at the last minute. I tried to keep up with the mountain of assigned reading but I remember for one class I *gasp* didn’t actually read one of the required books. After I graduated, I was burned out on reading and haven’t read much since then.
Rewind to my high school days, and you’ll find I loved to read. I remember one book that my dad wanted to read too. He would find where I was reading and bother me saying, “Are you done yet?? What happens??” So I took to reading in the bathroom while I was “getting ready for bed.” No one bothered me; no one even questioned me! Shortly after starting college, once the burden of excessive homework set in, I stopped reading recreationally. During one visit home, I completed my bedtime routine in about fifteen minutes. My parents looked at me in shock and said, “What?? You used to be in there for hours!” I then had to confess about my secret reading place.
Now that I work for a library, part of my job is to actually read books so I can make better suggestions to students. When I’m at home, I still get upset when distracted from reading and have a hard time keeping myself from hiding in the bathroom. One coworker told me reading was a waste of time when there were so many things to get done (as she played a game on her phone). She’s right that neglecting chores or other tasks is not wise and can come back to bite you later. I’ve been putting off talking to the school retirement counselor for two weeks and by far that should be a priority!
There are many good things we can learn from the industrious ant. It is important to provide for our own wellbeing and livelihood. How can we be a blessing to others if we can’t even take care of ourselves? Notice that the ant does things in a timely manner. The ant makes sure to gather the harvest when it is time and prepare for the winter during the summer. But what does the ant do during the winter? Well the text doesn’t say, but maybe the ant takes a break! The ant has good time management. She doesn’t just work all the time but does so appropriately, when the time is right.
Throughout my life, I’ve had a hard time balancing work and recreation. My tendency to not “play” until all my work is done has led to bitterness because in truth the work will never be all done. I then go overboard when I do take a break, like my inability to stop reading in a reasonable amount of time. It takes strong self-control, I would even dare say divinely created and sustained willpower, to combat bad habits (that might disguise themselves as good) and overcome self-destructive tendencies. God wants us to be prepared for the long winter as well as for the summer harvest. Through God’s help, we can make good choices about what needs to be done while still maintaining a healthy balance of work and rest. Self-care and self-control are important to cultivate so we are prepared to serve in God’s mission.