Thursday, June 3, 2010

Big Lesson - Tiny Insect


They appeared on our deck last year in record numbers. More than a nuisance, if not dealt with, they would eventually cause pretty severe damage. Carpenter ants. They seemed to be on a mission. A relatively straight line of them emerged from the far side of the deck and traveled to the downspout closest to the screen room, before disappearing from sight. Where were they going? We needed to find their nest before they turned our house into a feast.


While making a call from our screen room the next day, I noticed one of the pesky ants crawling by the door latch. As I sat and observed for a few minutes, ant after ant marched up out of the thin strip of wood that formed the seal between the doorframe and the door. So that was it! That's where they were coming from! Sure enough, after I snapped my phone shut and investigated further, I saw where the ants had begun making their nest. A quick trip to the garage for some ant killer and the insects were a thing of the past; their home thoroughly doused with pesticide. It felt good knowing that our house was no longer a smorgasbord for these 6-legged creatures.


As I celebrated my victory that day, I was glad I had eradicated a pesky invader. I wasn't in the mood to consider the wisdom of the ant. Yes, you read that correctly. Ants are wise. Such a tiny insect, yet in the book of Proverbs, Solomon points out its wisdom. "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest" (6:6-8; KJV).


A lesson in diligence is just waiting to be learned if I observe the ant. Science backs up scripture when it reveals that ants live in highly organized colonies, each ant responsible for a specific job. Some ants are responsible for cultivation of food sources, others engage in warfare, while others function strictly as workers. These ants don't have a boss, yet they carry out their individual jobs without fail. Talk about self-motivation! No need to call in the motivational speakers, these guys don't rely on cheerleaders to get them pumped up. They know a job needs to be done - so they do it!


When food is available, they gather it! No use holding meetings and strategizing about better ways to collect and store the food. Instead of talking about it, they work and accomplish their purpose. What about me? I have a choice to make each day. Will I be productive or give in to the temptation to procrastinate? If I tiptoe after 'Procrastination,' what will be the outcome? Solomon's answer stands in stark contrast to the outcome of the diligent. "How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man" (Proverbs 6:9-11).


Put plainly, when I give in to laziness and allow myself to be drawn away from my responsibilities, I'll come up poor and empty. 'Laziness' tries to convince me that I should put off today, what can be done tomorrow. It whispers in my ear that I don't need to spend time in God's word today, because I read an extra chapter yesterday. It convinces me that I don't really need to keep track of my spending because budgets are way too restrictive anyway. When I follow after 'Laziness' I end up discouraged and frustrated. In spite of its allurement, 'Laziness' is not a good friend! Refuse to hang out at procrastinate gate!


Wow, what a big lesson from such a tiny insect! Each one of us has the opportunity to choose our course for this day. Two words that begin with the same three letters, but have very different outcomes. Procrastination or productivity? Which will you choose today? Look to the ant, and be wise!


Do you struggle with procrastination? What helps you to overcome this hurdle? I'd love to hear your tips for staying on track!

19 comments:

  1. Good Afternoon Maria, Loved this post because of the analogy but also because we discovered a year ago that our home had carpenter ants too-gotten in by a sliding door and we found the dirt they were moving...yuck. Any spray didn't help and we vacumed etc but finally found that using termite spray seems to keep them away...which makes me think of hidden sins in our lives...we can cover them up, vacume away the evidence but the damage and infestation is still there. It is only the Heavy duty stuff-God's word and His Spirit that can truly eliminate them from my life.
    Thanks for sharing; it brought a smile to me knowing someone else had to deal with these pests.
    Hugs, Noreen

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  2. I don't like ants, but I agree, we have so much to learn from them. They just keep going and going. By the way, sprinkling cayenne powder around where they are getting in is a great deterrent.

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  3. Used to use that scripture with my kids for lessons when they were young. Wanted to encourage them to not be sluggards, but it was always a good reminder for me. As this is now! I choose productivity:)
    Blessings,
    Karen

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  4. Hi Maria, only about half an hour ago I had this conversation with myself but mind you I had this conversation with myself a few times over the last couple of weeks as well. I have found that I've been procrastinating a whole lot and then wonder why I am not seeing as much fruit as I should.

    Some of the things I've done recently was to eliminate stuff that I like but was taking too much of my time. I've also written out for myself what I call vision wall. I did that last week, listing the things I know God has called me to do, what I need to do to accomplish them overall and what I need to do right now. At the top of it I have the words FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS :) because I think that's a huge problem for me. I am interested in so many things and because of that I am not as productive as I should be.

    Anyway thanks for a great devotional.

    Blessings,
    Vickie

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  5. Definitely productivity. Procrastination always stressed me out. :0)

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  6. Noreen - Sorry to hear that you've dealt with these rascals too! Sounds like you need to write a devotional sharing your awesome analogy!! Thanks so much for sharing! Blessings to you today! :)

    Jill - Have to keep that cayenne powder tip in mind next time (although hopefully there won't be a next time!). There are definitely lessons to be learned all around us! It pays to stay in God's word and apply His truths to our everyday lives! God bless!

    Karen - Great job sharing this truth with your children! I can't imagine that you've ever struggled with procrastination! You're so good about leaving comments on blogs you follow and consistently posting to your site! God bless you for your diligence!

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  7. Vickie - So good to hear from you! Thanks for your honesty and for sharing your tips to stay diligent! I like how you started with the big picture/goal (your vision wall) and then broke it down into manageable pieces that will allow you to remain focused on the individual tasks you need to accomplish! Bravo!!! Believe me, I can relate! It's so easy to become overwhelmed with all the areas that God has called us to!! Praying for your success, girl!! God bless! :)

    Kristen - So good to hear from you! Glad you're choosing productivity! I was never a very good procrastinator when I was in high school, but I'm learning that I need to set clear goals & deadlines for myself as a writer, or it's easy to give in to Ms. Procrastination! Have a fantastic weekend and God bless!

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  8. Hi Maria -

    Thanks for the reminder.

    I've been procrastinating with the Genesis edits. It seems daunting, but I know if I dig in, it won't be as hard as it looks.

    Blessings,
    Susan :)

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  9. Great post, Maria. I have a propensitiy toward productivity - but not always in a balanced way. I bet even the ants take a rest :). It is funny, in certain seasons, I can also be lazy. Ah, the old issue - BALANCE.

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  10. Susan - Praying for you as you begin your edits! Everything is so much more manageable in bite-size pieces! Have a beautiful weekend and God bless! :)

    Glenda - Oh, what an important point. In fact, my daughter always teases me, because I'm all about 'balance.' In The Beauty of a Disciplined Life, author Rebecca Gates put it best, "Remember that balance is the goal of the disciplined life." Amen to that!! God bless you, Glenda!

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  11. Ants are a powerful team if not attended too. I usually run from thing to thing addressing the hottest item on my list. :O)

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  12. I go back and forth but my personality doesn't lend itself much to procrastination ---only in things like mopping my floor or something. With the bigger things in life, I jump in and try to go forward. We have only so many days to make an impact for the Lord and I hate to waste my time!

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  13. I think that my planner and my regular "goal check ups" help me to stay on the straight and narrow with productivity and priorities. Sometimes I realize I need to apply the same strategies to getting rest and taking time off. I need to find a bug to remind me of that ... ;)

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  14. Diane - Thanks for dropping by! Ants do form a pretty mighty team - I know we can learn from them corporately, as well as individually! Have a fantastic weekend! God bless!

    Terri - Love your focus: "We have only so many days to make an impact for the Lord and I hate to waste my time!" God bless you as you work for Him! Have a great weekend, girl!

    Julie - What type of planner do you use? My husband suggested a Franklin (I used to have one in my corporate days...) I'm sure it would help me to stay on track as a writer, as well! You bring up an important point: it IS important to get rest and take time off! I know that balance is the key! Enjoy your weekend!:)

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  15. I'm such a procrastinator, but I'm also a list maker in order to keep myself focused on the tasks I need to accomplish.

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  16. Maria,
    What a timely post for me. For the 1st time, we are dealing with ants in my kitchen! Ugh! First, we had tiny ones, now big ones. I've been thinking that the Lord wants to remind me of the ant's work ethic since I am so easily distracted :)
    Good tips here!
    Susan

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  17. I have a lot of trouble with procrastination too. I put off things I know will be hard. But you are so right, productivity makes me way happier than procrastination.

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  18. Oh my, yes! I struggle with procrastination. I have a way of wasting at least the first 30 minutes of my writing time piddling around with unimportant things. I'm trying to get better at this, but it's so hard for me to dive right in.

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  19. Amazing how everything in God's creation is meant to reveal something about Himself and teach us things in order to develop our faith! What an awesome God! BTW, I am praying for your daughter...knowing the Lord will use every trial to develop her faith and draw her nearer to Him!
    Bless you sister,
    Cherie

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