Whispers of Christ

Have you ever struggled with knowing what to read in the Bible? Maybe you have just finished a Bible study and you aren’t sure where to go next. That was me this week. I always struggle to get back into the swing of things after the holidays and this year was no exception. So I went to my default setting – I read the proverb that aligned with the day (example – you read Proverbs 6 on the 6th day of the month). 

Proverbs 6 has a lot to say about various things. But it specifically mentions the ant (like the insect) in verses 6-8. This got me asking a lot of questions about animals and what the significance of mentioning them in the Bible is. Job 12:7 tells us that we can ask the animals and learn from them. To that end, I’ve decided to write a new series called “Lessons from Nature”. Each post will be based on an animal, highlighting any biblical significance, what we can learn from them, and finishing with some introspective questions to help us apply these lessons to our lives. 

This week we are going to look at Proverbs 6:6-8, which discusses the ant – as in the insect. To get the most out of these posts, I would recommend that you do the following: 

1. Read the passage(s) provided. Read slowly and thoughtfully.  
2. Make a note of anything that stands out to you. This could be something that you think is cool, you don’t understand, or even a piece that seems important but you aren’t sure why yet. 
3. Once you have finished making notes, take a moment to pray about what you have read and ask the Holy Spirit to show you any applications to your own life. 
4. If you are feeling ambitious, take some time to research the animal yourself and see what you learn. You might find some applications in those facts that you weren’t expecting! 

Passage:

Once you have done these steps, feel free to read on and see the applications that I found for my own life. 

“Go to the ant, O lazy one;

Observe her ways and be wise, [Job 12:7]

Which, having no chief,

Overseer or ruler,

She prepares her food in the summer

And brings in her provisions [of food for the winter] in the harvest.” Proverbs 6:6-8 (AMP)

About Ants:

It’s important to note that ants live in a community setting called a colony. This colony works together to survive, anything an ant does is for the benefit of the colony. If you live in the USA, this will seem like an odd concept, since our culture values individuality so much. However, if you are a christian, you are part of a community. One body – the body of Christ. Keeping that in mind, let’s look at some of the ways we can learn from ants. 

Ants are great stewards of their time and resources. Once they hatch, they are given a role based on the needs of the colony – they then start accomplishing tasks that align with that role. No ant carries multiple roles, but they never compete with each other. By functioning in this way they are able to achieve incredible feats and the colony thrives. It’s worth pointing out that outside of the queen, who is really only in charge of reproduction, there are no managers or any real “leaders” in the colony. This means that the ants don’t wait for instructions, they are autonomous. 

One of the main ways that ants communicate with each other is via pheromones. When an ant is searching for food, they leave pheromone markers on the trail for other ants to follow. By working together they make sure the colony is well provisioned. When collecting food ants will collect what they need and fill up their store houses in times of abundance. They do not however hoard food. If the source of food has run out, the ant stops marking the trail. If they get blocked off from the food, the ants will continue to work until the blockade is either removed or they have found a shortcut around it. This method of adaptive and clear communication enables the colony to have a continued food source, prolongs its life span, and helps ants know what to remove from the colony. 

Ants who have died give off a specific pheromone called oleic acid. This pheromone triggers the ants into an action called “necrophoresis”, essentially it starts the burial process. Sanitization workers will come and remove the dead ant from the colony, moving to an outside location where dead ants are left. Basically they take their dead to a cemetery. This action helps prevent the spread of disease and possibly to prevent the pheromone from drawing in predators. This instinct is so strong that even if a live ant is coated in the pheromone, the workers will still carry it off to the cemetery and try to bury it! 

By continuing to adapt and be proactive, ants have become one of the most populated species on earth with an estimated number of 20 quadrillion. There are over 22,000 species that we know of and they have been estimated to have existed since the dawn of time. The only continent that they are unable to survive on is Antarctica! It doesn’t take much to realize that the body of Christ could learn lots if we only stopped to notice the ant. 

Take Aways: 

So what are the lessons we could learn from these tiny little creatures? How could something so small possibly teach us anything about how to walk with God? Let me show you! 

1. Community matters.  

No one succeeds alone. 1 Corinthians 12 (starting in verse 12) tells us that we are all part of the same body. The same way that the human body needs all its physical parts, the body of Christ needs each of its members. By working as a colony the ants are able to not only survive but thrive, they are able to make more ants and impact the world. If the body of Christ, the christian church in all its forms, stopped squabbling amongst itself and started working toward the goal we were entrusted with – what would the world look like? Would it be 20 quadrillion strong? What would be our lasting impact in the world – would we be as valuable to it as the ant? 

2. Stay in your lane. 

While community matters and it’s important to work towards a single goal, what I want to point out is that the ants don’t squabble over things. They don’t sit and point out what another did wrong. They put their heads down and focus on their own work. This is something I’m still learning but staying in your own lane is important. In western culture we are so obsessed with sharing our opinions or views that we don’t stop to think if we should. 

There is a time and a place for correcting sinful behavior and it is not always ours. Sometimes the best thing we can do is sit down, pray for the person, and give them grace. I’m not sure about you but I have enough to fix in my own walk and life with Jesus. When I catch myself starting down the road of judgement I’ve found it’s helpful to stop and pray and ask God to not let me forget where I’ve come from or what I need to work on. Refocusing on what I need to deal with has helped keep me out of trouble. 

3. Living in action. 

One of the clearest ways we can learn from the ant is to proactively work toward a goal. Ants start working from the moment they are hatched. They embody the concept of living in action. We humans get so wrapped up in having approval that it can delay us from living in obedience to God. Sometimes we need to just start doing things and know that he will always reroute us if we are wrong and it is literally impossible to ruin his plan. I’m not saying don’t pray beforehand – always pray, but don’t let fear of being wrong, doing wrong, or making a mistake stand in the way of acting on what you believe God is calling you to do. 

4. Stewarding wisely. 

Stewardship is such an interesting concept. We often think of this as only referring to money, probably because of the story of the servants with their talents in the gospels, but it really applies to anything given to someone. Think about it – you are a steward of anything God has given you. That could mean food, finances, time, energy, your body, raising your children, your spiritual gifts, or even the relationships you have. All of these are gifts and blessings and should be stewarded with care. Like the ants storing up their food, it’s important that we steward what we have with caution – that we take only what we need or don’t take more than we can handle. Good stewardship isn’t just maintaining things – it leads to growth. We see it in ant colonies and it’s seen in the parable of the servants with the talents. The servants saw an increase when things were stewarded correctly and they were rewarded because of it. 

5. Staying resilient. 

Ants consistently look for a way around blockades. They don’t give up when things get hard. How often do we give up when things are difficult? Sometimes we run into opposition and we say that it’s a sign we are doing the wrong thing. I can safely promise you that there are going to be times when you are doing the right thing and you will meet more opposition than if you did the wrong thing. I’ve had it happen many times – in fact, sometimes that is how I know I’m doing the right thing. We could take a lesson in resilience from the ant. 

6. Brick by Brick

One of my favorite songs is “One Step at a time” by Jordan Sparks. It’s a reminder to me that sometimes things take time, that nothing happens overnight, and that little things add up. Ants are a great example of that. By small little actions the collective impact is made in ways that are clearly visible to those far larger than themselves. Not giving up and being resilient is only part of the process. The other half is taking that next right step and trusting the process. 

7. Clearly marking the path. 

We often forget that someone has to mark the path. Honestly I remember it regularly because I married someone of a different race. Simple things like Rosa Parks refusing to move off her bus seat are the pebbles that created the avalanche of civil rights. Those changes allowed me to be able to marry the man I love without fear. One person had to carve the path and start it. The first ant has to mark the path for others to follow. As believers we are marking the spiritual path. It’s important that we mark it clearly for generations to follow after us and that we call out the stumbling blocks for those behind us. By clearly marking the path it allows others to forge ahead, beyond what we were able to achieve, that the gospel may go farther and be seen by more. That the body of Christ will grow.  

8. Guarding our homes & hearts. 

Ants are a great example of guarding their home – they remove those who would bring in disease or danger to their home. While it’s important to show all people love, grace, and mercy – it’s also important to guard our homes and hearts. I’m not endorsing cancel culture, please don’t misunderstand me, but I am saying that boundaries are good and necessary. If someone has hurt you or is not safe it would be very wise to think about what healthy boundaries look like. That could be limiting the amount of time you spend with them, what you talk about, or even how you meet them. This doesn’t need to be forever, but it is worth thinking about what or who we let into our lives and homes. 

Closing:

When Proverbs tells us to “go to the ant,” it isn’t doing so as a throwaway line or a fun fact about nature. It’s an invitation to slow down, observe, and learn wisdom from something small and easily overlooked. The ant shows us that faith is often lived quietly—in community, in daily action, in wise boundaries, and in steady obedience over time. My hope is that this post didn’t just give you things to think about, but helped you notice where God may already be at work in your own life. Sometimes the lessons we need most aren’t hidden in complexity, but in paying attention to what’s been right in front of us all along.

Applying it to your life: 

Having trouble applying these lessons to your own life? Ask yourself the following questions: 

• What area of my community could I be more involved in?
  • If you don’t have a community, what are some small steps you could take to start building a community?
• Where have I strayed out of my lane? 
• How could I work to encourage others to walk with God versus passing judgement? 
• What area of my life have I paused because I didn’t want to step into the unknown? 
• What gifts, resources, or blessings do I currently have that I could steward better? 
• Where have I given up that I need to re-evaluate? What next steps could I take to make that goal more tangible? 
• How am I marking the path or what path am I marking for those behind me to follow? 
• What or whom have I let into my life that I need to put boundaries around?