The Bible exhorts us to “Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.” Now you might not think this exhortation applies to you because you don’t consider yourself to be a sluggard. The root meaning of the word is idle, sluggish, lazy. “Aha!” you say, “that’s not me, I work hard and am very busy”. My question would be: “What do you work hard at?” Do you busy yourself with things that please yourself, or do you take into consideration the needs of others? And do you find yourself energetic and motivated by the grace that God supplies to practice the spiritual disciplines that you have been called to. Are you helpfully encouraging others in Gospel growth?
Listen to Paul’s words in Colossians which I think are a great description of a Christian vision for a life of active grace:
“Him (Christ) we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”Col 1:28-29)
Paul was no sluggard, he was as wise and active as the ant toiling and struggling not in his own strength, but with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. That power and energy is supplied for the work he has called us to in making disciples who make disciples. By ourselves, we are just one ant (if you remember the illustration from Hopper in A Bugs Life), but imagine what we can do together as we are empowered by God. There is wisdom in that!
